Standard operating hours
The Document Supply Service is available to process your automated* requests from 08:00 Monday to 04:30 Saturday, except when closed for English public holidays.
Customer Services Orders are also available to accept any 2-hour and 24-hour requests by email, fax or telephone, during our core business hours of 08:00 to 18:30 each day, Monday through to Friday. Any orders received by the team outside of these hours will be timed from 08:00 on the next working day.
In the event of an English public holiday, these will be timed from 08.00 on the next working day. Requests for items urgently required during the period 18:30 to 08:00 should be made by one of our automated methods of ordering.
On rare occasions, the 2-hour service may have to be restricted without prior notice for operational or technical reasons.
*Automated requesting methods interface directly into our request processing and delivery systems and include ARTEmail, Inside, British Library Direct, British Library Direct Plus, Explore the British Library and the ARTWeb form. For more information on any of our requesting methods please contact customer-services@bl.uk
Customer Services
If you have any questions or a problem with our services, you can speak with a member of our Customer Services staff between 08.30 and 19.00 (UK time), Monday to Friday, except when the Library is closed for a public holiday.
Tel: +44 (0)1937 546060
Minicom (for the use of the hearing impaired): +44 (0)1937 546860
Fax: +44 (0)1937 546333
Email: customer-services@bl.uk
Public Holiday Closure 2011/12
Next public holiday closure
Christmas: 00:00 on 23 December – 08:00 on 28 December (UK time)
New Year: 02:00 on 31 December – 08:00 on 03 January (UK time)
All Document Supply services will be closed from Friday 23 December to Tuesday 27 December inclusive and Monday 02 January.
- The Boston Spa Reading Room will close at 16:30 on Thursday 22 and Friday 30 December.
- Customer Services will close at 17:30 on Thursday 22 December, Wednesday 28 December, Thursday 29 December and Friday 30 December.
Christmas:
- We will not process any requests received after 22:00 (UK time) on Thursday 22 December until our Document Supply service reopens on Wednesday 28 December at 08:00 (UK time). This includes any requests for the 2 hour service.
- All requests received at the British Library after 22:00 on 22 December will be timed from 08:00 on 28 December.
New Year:
- We will not process any requests received after 00:00 (UK time) on Saturday 31 December until our Document Supply service reopens on Tuesday 03 January at 08:00 (UK time). This includes any requests for the 2 hour service.
- All requests received at the British Library after 00:00 on 31 December will be timed from 08:00 on 03 January.
