Get a Reader Pass

A guide to how to obtain a British Library Reader Pass to use our reading rooms

Published date:

1 April 2014

Register for a Reader Pass

We issue a free Reader Pass to anyone who has a need to see specific items in our collections. We do not usually issue a pass to anyone under the age of 18 but in some cases exceptions are made.

Before you register with the British Library, you should search our Catalogues to confirm we have the material you require. Please bring these details with you when you register. Our staff will have an introductory discussion with you about your need to use our collections. They may suggest more appropriate libraries or sources for your research.

You can pre-register online or register in person. To register in person and complete your online registration visit, either: 

• Reader Registration on the Upper Ground Floor at St Pancras, London (open Monday to Saturday, except for seasonal closures); or, 
• Reception, the Thorp Arch Retail Park, Boston Spa, Yorkshire (open Monday to Friday, except for seasonal closures). We strongly recommend that readers intending to use the Boston Spa Reading Room pre-register online.

We will need to see proof of your identity and address. You cannot request books prior to your first visit, unless you have used online pre-registration. Pre-registration is only eligible for first time Reader Pass applicants. 

Once registered, you will be given a Reader Pass. Passes are valid for a period of between one month and three years and are issued subject to the Library's Conditions of Use.

If you already have a Reader Pass you may need to extend or renew it or obtain a temporary pass.    

Extend a Reader Pass

This allows you to request material before renewing your pass in person. You can extend your expired Reader Pass only if you have upgraded your Reader number to a British Library Online Account before your pass expired.

• The extension is valid for three weeks and allows you to pre-order items in advance of your next visit. However, you still need to renew your Reader Pass prior to using our reading rooms.

To extend your expired Reader Pass:

• Log in to My Account
• Click the ‘My Service’ ‘tab
• In the British Library Reader section, click ‘Extend Reader Pass’
• Tick the check boxes to signify that you will bring proof of signature and address
• Click the ‘Extend’ button. 

Renew a Reader Pass

To renew your Reader Pass you should apply in person to Reader Registration at St Pancras, London or at Reception in Boston Spa, Yorkshire. 

• If you have a three year Reader Pass you can renew up to six months before the expiry date If you have a one year pass you can renew up to one month before the expiry date
• If you have a monthly pass you can renew up to one week before the expiry date.

You must to provide documentation to support your need for ongoing access and you must provide appropriate identification and proof of address.

Temporary Pass

If you have registered and been issued with a Reader Pass but arrive at the Library without your pass, a temporary pass may be issued at a cost of £5.00. If you have lost your pass the fee will be £10.00. In either case you must provide appropriate identification and proof of address.

Please come to Reader Registration on the Upper Ground Floor at St Pancras, London or Reception at Boston Spa, Yorkshire.

Using the Library 

The British Library is different from public and university libraries:

• In London, the majority of the collections are held in closed stores, and are ordered to a reading room. At Boston Spa, all items are held in closed stores and are ordered in advance.
• The Library does not hold multiple copies of standard texts.
• Items in the Library's main catalogue, Explore the British Library, with a 'Document Supply' prefix (DSC) may be requested as interlibrary loans through public, academic and business libraries, otherwise no items may not be borrowed from any Reading Rooms.
• Readers using the Boston Spa Reading Room are advised to order items in advance as the minimum delivery time to this reading room is 48 hours.
• Delivery of items from storage areas to reading rooms depends on where the item is stored and to which reading room the item is delivered. There is further information for readers using the London and Boston Spa Reading Rooms.

Reader Registration, The British Library,
96 Euston Road, London, NW1 2DB, United Kingdom
T: +44(0)20 7412 7676; F: +44(0)20 7412 7794

Reader-Registration@bl.uk