University Libraries Acquires World's Largest Book

Thanks to a generous donor, the University Libraries recently obtained a copy of Bhutan: A Visual Odyssey Across the Last Himalayan Kingdom, the largest book ever made.

Bhutan is the largest book ever made, according to Guinness World Records™, weighing more than 130 pounds and measuring 5 feet by 7 feet.

But Bhutan is more than just a big book. It features stunning, full-color photographs of the architecture, dance festivals, native costumes and people of Bhutan, a tiny kingdom northeast of India which some have called ëthe last shangri-laí because of its rich ecology and unspoiled culture.

This unique book was printed in an edition of 500 copies, one of which was recently donated to the University of Minnesota Libraries. The book was created by Michael Hawley, professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, who based the book on four scientific expeditions to Bhutan by teams of investigators from MIT and Friendly Planet. The book includes photographs from a collection of more than 40,000 that were made by Bhutanese people, guides, and students and staff of MIT and the University of Washington.

Bhutan is currently on display in the Libraries' Special Collections/Rare Books unit at 111 Andersen Library. You can see the book during their regular business hours, from 8:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. For more information, please call (612) 626-9166.