We're experiencing a major technology outage following a cyber-attack affecting our website, online systems and services, and some onsite services. However, our buildings are still open as usual. We anticipate restoring more services in the next few weeks, but disruption to certain services is now expected to persist for several months.
Last week the attackers released some of our data onto the dark web including some personal user information. We've contacted our users to alert them to this incident and to offer advice from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) on how to protect themselves, including updating their passwords on other systems.
Because our systems are still unavailable, you can't change the password for our services. However, if you use the same password for non-British Library services, we recommend that you change it as a precaution.
NCSC provides guidance on staying secure online, including how to create a strong password, and specific guidance for individuals who may have been impacted by a data breach.
Analysing the data is likely to take several months. Should we find specific information has been compromised, we will alert anyone affected as soon as we can. We are continuing to collaborate with the Metropolitan Police and professional cybersecurity advisors, and are receiving support from the NCSC.
We're really sorry for the ongoing disruption to our systems and services and we'll provide further updates when we can.
What is currently available?
The Library's buildings are open, but some services are limited, including access to collection items. We're regularly updating our blog with the latest information on what's currently available online and onsite so please check this before you visit.
If you have purchased tickets for our exhibition, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination, you can still use them. Exhibition tickets can also be booked via See Tickets. Our free exhibition, Malorie Blackman: The Power of Stories, is open and no booking is required.
All upcoming public events are going ahead as planned and you can find more information on our events blog update. We're continuing to welcome schools and families too, as well as adult learners to our courses.
Business & IP Centre (BIPC) in St Pancras is open to support businesses as usual but digital services onsite are unavailable. You can also join BIPC events and webinars and access one-to-one support. Read our BIPC blog update to find out what help and advice we can offer during this time.
Contacting us
While our systems are offline, you can contact us by emailing customer@bl.uk We'll do our best to answer your queries but please bear with us. This inbox is reviewed between 08.30 to 16.30 Monday to Friday. We're experiencing a high volume of enquiries so it may take us some time to respond. We'll get back to you as quickly as we can.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.