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Known issues

Browser compatibility
Date sorting of a list of results
Finding all expected records
Frbrisation
Ordering items - Go button problems
Requesting articles
Reservation List - adding more than one item at a time
Searching for shelfmarks
Searching for titles with a hyphen
Tags

These issues have been raised with our supplier and are being investigated.

 

Browser compatibility

There may be some functionality and small display issues with some browsers, for details of compatibility, see About Explore the British Library.

If you are having major problems and are unable either to:

You should note that that Explore the British Library requires that your browser is:

If these three settings are as above and you are still experiencing problems can you please supply us with details of your PC/Laptop:

  • Internet Browser; including version number (e.g. IE8)
  • Operating system; including version number (e.g. Windows XP, Version 5.1. Service pack 3)

It would also be helpful if you could provide a step-by step scenario of the actions you take and the system responses, so we can see where the problem is occurring.

In the meantime, if you need to order items, please contact our Customer Services department, who can order on your behalf, their details are:

Registered readers, contact:

Guests and customers of our document supply services, contact:

Customer Services are open: Monday - Friday 08.30-17.00 and Saturday 10.00-16.00

 

Date sorting of a list of results

You can sort a list of results by date-newest and date-oldest. However, because different versions of items are brought together by frbrisation, you may find only one of the frbrised items is sorted correctly.

For example a search of "Magritte Rene" includes 6 versions of the item ' Rene Magritte : catalogue raisonne / edited by David Sylvester'. Sorting the results by date-newest, the frbrised record that displays in the list of results is dated 1997 but not all of the frbrised versions were published in 1997.

 

Finding all expected records

If you do a search and then click the author / contributor link in the 'Details' tab the system carries out another/contributor indexed search.
The system will then carry out subsequent searches with the same index.
To clear the index, click 'Explore Home', on the navigation bar, before you carry out another search.

 

Frbrisation

Frbrisation brings together different versions (i.e. different editions) of an item in your Results list. Frbrisation is not working correctly for some types of material.

Frbrisation can also adversely affect the date sorting of a list of results.

 

Ordering items - Go button problems

1. The ‘Go’ button fails to bring back a result after you have logged in/out. You will see a blank window with the term 'transparent pixel'. NB: This seems only to be affecting external users.

Check that there isn't another window or tab open that contains the details of the record. If there is then close it & try the Go button again. If that fails close the browser (for all open windows) completely and start again.

If that fails and you wish to report that you have such a problem we need to know your PC/Laptop:

  • Internet Browser; including version number (e.g. IE8)
  • Operating system ; including version number (e.g. Windows XP, Version 5.1. Service pack 3)

2. The ‘Go’ button bring back a pop-up screen but you don't see the services you expect to see. NB: This has only been reported by people on-site.

Try to refresh the popup screen as this seems to correct the issue.

If this doesn't please try to click on the feedback ‘Go’ button to see if the feedback form displays OK. If it does please advise us, using either the form or via staff at the Reference Enquiry desk, that you have this problem. Please supply the item's system number; you can find this at the foot of the 'Details' tab, e.g.
UIN: BLL01009415957

 

Requesting articles

To request copies of articles, which are not available electronically, you have to search for the journal/conference/book title. Occasionally the title search will return no results. As a result, readers will be unable to order the item to a reading room and customers of our document supply services will be unable to order via their account.

The normal ordering links are not available because the article record does not hold enough information; we are working to improve this. It may be possible to order the item to your home or office via British Library Direct, a fee paying service.

 

Reservation List - adding more than one item at a time

Some customers find that if they add an item to their Reservation List but do not immediately order it and then add another item to their List, that the first item no longer appears on their Reservation List.

This problem affects customers with the following browsers:

  • Chrome version 17.0.963.56 m
  • Mozilla Firefox version 10.02

in combination with a Windows XP operating system.

If you have a different operating system and browser can you please let us know. Please note we also need the version number.

We are investigating the problem but in the meantime you will need to add one item to your Reservation List and order it straight away before you add another item. Alternatively you could try using another browser - customers using Internet Explorer do not appear to be experiencing this problem.

 

Searching for shelfmarks

If your search fails, try removing all the punctuation.

 

Searching for titles with a hyphen

If your search for a word with a hyphen the record may not be found. The issue has been raised with our software suppliers and they are investigating.

Replace the hyphen with a question mark (?) and try the search again; e.g. search for

One?way street and other writings Walter Benjamin

rather than

One-way street and other writings Walter Benjamin

 

Tags

Note that whilst you can immediately see any tags you have assigned to a record under 'My tags for this item', you cannot search for these tags until Explore the British Library is updated.