Rare book collection for Vic library

A collection of rare books valued at more than $5 million has been donated to the State Library of Victoria, along with a $1.3 million endowment.

The bequest, the most significant in the library's 160 years, was made by the late Melbourne barrister John Emmerson QC.

The 5000 books span 400 years and include books owned by King Charles I.

"The collection is significant not just for the sheer quantity but the quality of the works, who they belonged to and how beautifully they've been maintained," says State Library Victoria's History of the Book Manager Des Cowley.

Dr Emmerson, 76, died in 2014.