The museum has had a Reading Room since 1857 to compliment the Museum Library and was only accessible to those with a Reader’s Ticket, which was issued by the Principal Librarian. The library was moved to a special building in St Pancras in 1997 but the Reading Room was destined to remain a part of the museum. After a complete renovation, the Reading Room reopened in 2000 and is now open to the public. It contains a modern information center, the Walter and Leonore Annenberg Center, and a fine collection of books, catalogs and other printed material.