A COLLECTION of German theological textbooks kept at Durham Cathedral could be opened to the public.
The Bishop of Durham, the Right Reverend Tom Wright, has launched an £80,000 appeal to give public access to the Meissen Library, kept in the undercroft of the cathedral's deanery.
The library, established in 1997, contains 13,000 books - including works by Martin Luther - and was a gift from the German Protestant Church as part of the 1991 Meissen agreement it signed with the Church of England.
Chapter steward Anne Heywood said: "Volunteers continue to work at putting the library on shelving and sorting out all the books and periodicals that have arrived since the library was founded.
"Much remains to be done and, at the moment, access to the library for potential readers is limited.
"The Meissen Commission, which oversees relations between the two churches, is determined to make this unique resource better known in the UK and beyond.
"The £80,000 appeal will pay for a part-time librarian for three years, allowing the library to open to users on a regular basis and to offer online access to its extensive catalogue via the website of Durham University Library."
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