We offer a range of workshops and training events to enable you to carry out effective research and to make best use of the Library:
- Basic Research Skills
- Business & IP Centre workshops
- Finding Early Western Printed Books in the British Library
- Information Skills-Navigating research in the British Library
- Making the most of the Humanities Reading Room
- Science Research Skills Sessions
- Social Sciences workshops
- Wikipedia workshops
These workshops are run by British Library information specialists.
You can book a place by email.
Workshop programme
Basic Research Skills
This course covers the basic skills needed for someone setting out on a research project. It is not discipline-specific and so is suitable for scientists or humanities researchers. It will show you how to locate information on your topic within our collections as well as giving you guidance with writing up your research.
Time: 15:00 to 16:00
Dates: 19 June.
Business & IP Centre workshops
The Centre runs a full programme of workshops covering business information and intellectual property. Details of the programme and booking information.
Finding Early Western Printed Books in the British Library
This is a new workshop offered by British Library Rare Books Reference Specialists. It provides an overview of reference resources which can help trace hard-to-find early printed material (ca.1455- ca.1900) and enhance using the Library’s main catalogue, Explore the British Library.
Resources covered include
- Printed and online catalogues
- Specialist early book catalogues
- Catalogues to ‘Named Collections’
- Published Subject Indexes
Time: 11:00 to 12:15
Dates: 3 May, 4 June and 3 July.
You can book a place by email.
Information Skills-Navigating research in the British Library
This course covers the basic skills needed for someone starting a research project. It will show you how to locate information on your subject within the British Library Collections.
- Explains skills needed to research effectively
- The best way to use keywords
- Locating subject guides
- Subject searching and browsing using printed sources as well as digital sources
- Using databases
Time: 15:00 to 16:00
Dates: 15 May and 12 June.
You can book a place by email.
Making the most of the Humanities Reading Room
These workshops are part of the weekly sessions led by the Humanities Reference Team to help readers find their way around the British Library’s extensive collections.
Using the British Library catalogue “Explore the British Library”
Explore the British Library - more effective searching:
- Advanced search
- Periodicals – how to find; how to order volumes and issues
- Subject searching and browsing
- Other British Library catalogues
- Manuscripts, newspapers, sound recordings etc
- Catalogues of other libraries - how to access
- Alternative catalogues such as COPAC, European Library, WorldCat.
Time: 15:00 to 16:00.
Dates: 8 May.You can book a place by email.
Electronic resources hands-on
A chance to practice what you learned at 'Electronic Resources', with staff on hand to help and guide you.Time: 15:00 to 16:00.
Dates: 27 May.You can book a place by email.
Finding Articles, Journals and Newspapers
Finding the periodical that you need - in the Explore the British Library Catalogue; on the databases.
- Requesting the articles that you need
- Finding the Library’s humanities e-journals – titles and articles
- Other helpful tools – for finding either periodical titles or periodical articles e.g. COPAC and other union lists
- Finding the newspaper that you need –Online and CD-ROM newspaper databases – available in the Humanities Reading Room
- Periodical indexes – how to find them and how to use them.
Time: 15:00 to 16:00
Dates: 1 May.You can book a place by email.
Finding and Using Electronic Resources
Finding the electronic resource that you need for your project using online research tools:
- Finding and using databases
- Using the Help for Researchers pages
- Using the topics list
- Virtual Reference Library
Time: 15:00 to 16:00.
Dates: 22 May.You can book a place by email.
Science Research Skills Sessions
Do you need guidance on using the catalogue, accessing e-journals and databases or finding references for your research?
The Science Reference Enquiry team would be happy to help! We run sessions (Mon-Fri) on a variety of subjects and now offer free 30-minute one-to-one training sessions, tailored to readers needs, covering basic skills in library research and focussing on science resources at the British Library.
To find out more or to book a session, please email us at: scitech@bl.uk.
You can book a place by email.
Social Sciences workshops
Clinics on Social Sciences Resources
The Social Sciences Reference Team offers free 30-minute one-to-one training sessions tailored to your needs covering basics skills on library research focusing on the social sciences resources available in the library. To book a session, please contact Social Sciences.
How to book a place on our workshops
- Booking details for Business & IP Centre workshops are available on our website.
- To attend a Science session please speak to staff at the Reference Enquiry Desk in the Science Reading Room or email us at: scitech@bl.uk.
NB: These sessions are open to British Library Reader Pass holders only. If you would like to attend but do not have a Reader Pass, please register with us. - For all other workshops:
Email: hrs-training@bl.uk
Please note that for all courses booked through hrs-training@bl.uk, bookings will only be accepted up to two days before the course.
There is a heavy demand for these courses so if you are booked on one and later find that you are unable to come, please let us know so that we can offer the place to someone else. Thank you.
