The Linen Hall holds one of the world’s largest collections of Scottish poet Robert Burns’s works and associated miscellany outside of Scotland. Former governor Andrew Gibson (1841 – 1931) is to thank in large part for this collection. The story behind the purchase and maintenance of the collection is fascinating.
The Linen Hall has an expansive and insightful Irish Language collection. Beginning with material dating from the 18th century, the collection is made up of historic and contemporary material. A treasure of the collection is the Robert McAdam Comparative Lexicon.
The Linen Hall (Belfast Library And Society For Promoting Knowledge) is registered with the Charity Commission for Northern Ireland NIC 104 564.