The good book comes in a very small package...
LIBRARIANS are hoping a tiny Bible rediscovered during the Covid lockdowns will be cherished by all visitors and not just academics and researchers.
The 1911 replica of a so-called Chained Bible is not much bigger than a £1 coin but contains both testaments printed on 876 gossamerthin India paper pages which can only be read with a magnifying glass.
Rhian Isaac, special collections senior librarian at Leeds City Library, said the book was billed as the smallest Bible in the world when it was printed, although this was almost certainly not true.
Ms Isaac said its origins are a mystery as it only resurfaced when the library decided to do a comprehensive survey during lockdown closures.
Asked where it came from, she said: “We don’t know. It’s a bit of a mystery, really.
“A lot of items in our collection were either bought over time or they might have been donated.
“We’ve done quite a lot of work during lockdown on cataloguing our rare books and special collections.
“Before that, hardly any of these books had ever been seen by anyone or ever been found, really.”
Ms Isaac said around 3,000 items have been newly catalogued, including some unusual finds, with some dating back to the 15th century.