Text versions of Help videos - Essential functions
If you are unable to view our online training videos, to help you use Explore the British Library, you may find these text versions useful. Alternatively, try our Adobe PDF files.
Some of the information is intended just for British Library Reader Pass holders (or registered document supply customers).
Comments are welcome and will be used to improve the help supplied.
Create/change password
- Click on Log in.
- Click on password.
- Enter your Reader Pass number in the Reader Number box. (This is a six digit number.)
- Then type the new password you have chosen (in the second text box).
- Then confirm the new password (by typing it again in the third text box).
- To finalise, enter your Pass expiry date using the three drop-down menus below the expiry date question.
- Select the year by clicking on the arrowhead to the right of the list of years.
- E.g., select 2014.
- Select the month by clicking on the relevant arrowhead.
- E. g., select SEP.
- Then select the day in a similar way.
- E. g., select 23.
- Click on Go.
- You have now successfully created your new password.
- Click on Close.
- You may now login using your new password.
Log in
- This is at the Home page of Explore the British Library.
- It is not necessary to Log in in order to use Explore the British Library. Logging in, however, provides additional services.
- The log in area is on top right-hand corner of the screen.
- Click on the Log in.
- Logging in is available to Reader Pass holders (or registered document supply customers) only.
- Use your reader (or customer) number and password to log in.
- Enter your number in the ID Number box.
- Then in the lower box enter the password you have previously chosen.
- Click on Login to gain access to the catalogue.
- When you have logged in, you will be taken back to the home page ready to start searching.
- Your name will be displayed on the screen.
Simple Search
- Click the mouse in the search box.
- Enter a word or phrase in the search box.
- Type your query word(s) in the search box, e.g., shakespeare hamlet.
- Click on Search to carry out the search.
- The results list is then displayed.
- Explore the British Library contains 1191 items with the words shakespeare and hamlet in their records.
- Use the mouse to scroll through results lower down on the page.
- Click on Details to view an item's full catalogue record.
- The full record of the item is displayed in a window.
- Use the mouse to scroll through all details of the item's record.
- Additional Information is also available for many items.
- Clicking on Additional Information opens a new window.
- Click, e.g., on Table of Contents to display the item's content headings.
- Click on Close to close this window.
- Click on the close button of the Details window to continue viewing the results list.
- Use the mouse to scroll through results lower down on the page.
- Click on Next to view further pages of results.
Refine
- If you have carried out a broad search then you will probably have a large number of items in your results list.
- You can manage your results using the Refine my results and Sorted by functions.
- In order to reduce the number of items in your results list click on one or more of the Refine my results options on the left.
- Click on, e.g., Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 as Author/Contributor.
- The refinement is displayed above the results list.
- The number of results has now been reduced.
- In order to reduce the number of results further add one or more refinement(s).
- Click on, e.g., Books as Material Type.
- If a particular refinement is no longer necessary click on the X (to its right) to remove it.
- Repeat this process if necessary.
- Results are sorted by relevance by default.
- Click on the Sorted by drop-down menu to select a different sort option.
- Select, e.g., the date-oldest sort option.
- N.B. Sort options are ‘sticky’; i.e., your chosen sort preference will apply to all your subsequent searches (as the default) unless you re-select a different sort option.