THE world’s most expensive printed book has made a rare appearance from its secured vault at a Scottish library.

John James Audubon’s The Birds of America is on display at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow.

The rare book is currently the subject of a Hollywood heist film American Animals, where a group of American students try to steal a of copy of the book.

The book is part of the Robert Jeffery collection and was a gift to his wife Margaret Reid for £300.

A copy sold at auction in New York this year for $9.6 million.

The richly illustrated 19th Century book, featuring more than 400 hand-coloured illustrations of 1037 life-size birds, is one of just 13 complete sets thought remaining in private hands.

Eight years ago a complete copy of the first edition was sold in London at Sotheby’s for £7,321,250, and The Economist magazine estimated that five of the 10 highest prices ever paid for printed books were for copies of Birds of America.

The precious book is kept under lock and key in a special vault, but it belongs to the public and anyone can view it by prior arrangement – providing they are supervised and have proof of identity.

Pictured is Mitchell Library collection manager Trish Grant.