The British Library - The British Library

What’s on

Beethoven

Fri 3 Dec 2021 - Sun 24 Apr 2022

Treasures of the British Library. Discover stories that shape the world.

Treasures of the British Library

Free

Adults sat around a table wearing paper hats with a man pointing a theatre light at them

Anything Could Happen Next: A Celebration of People Show

Sun 13 Mar 2022

Self Help: Taking Care of Ourselves

Thu 17 Mar 2022

Composite image of event speakers

In This Place In The Spirit: La Maravillosa Realidad of Trinidad

Thu 17 Mar 2022

Sold out

Wendy Carlos

Wendy Carlos, Moog and A Clockwork Orange

Tue 22 Mar 2022

Shortlisted authors

The Rathbones Folio Prize Award 2022

Free

Wed 23 Mar 2022

A smiling woman hitting a drum

Evelyn Glennie: Feeling Sound Revisited

Wed 23 Mar 2022

event panel

James Joyce and Us: Anne Enright and Eimear McBride in conversation

Thu 24 Mar 2022

All events and exhibitions

News

A person in a gallery looking at a manuscript

Keeping everyone safe

We’re working hard at both our sites to make sure everyone can visit us safely.

Image of two people looking at a book

Publication of 2019-20 Research Report

Publication of 2019-20 Research Report

Architect's impression of new Boston Spa site

Sustainable Boston Spa redevelopment given the green light

Planned improvements will transform our northern site into a modern and sustainable home for the UK’s growing national collection.…

Blogs

Medieval manuscripts blog from the British Library

Tall tales of the medieval ‘holster book’

Lead image for Americas blog from the British Library. Image by Agustín Víctor Casasola, shelfmark LF.31.b.696

Electronic Resources for Literary Research

Photo of the King's Library at the British Library, credit Luca Sage

Memory of a nation – the Vernadsky National Library of Ukraine

Learn

Preview of the Black literature timeline poster, showing text entries by date, portraits and a tablet featuring images of book covers and handwritten manuscripts

Collage of photograph of Andrea Levy's parents and one of her manuscripts

‘How come England did not know me?’: Recording Andrea Levy for Authors’ Lives

More Learning resources

Discover

A Description of Three Hundred Animals [page: frontispiece and title page]

The Devonshire Manuscript

Explore this hand-written volume, known as the Devonshire Manuscript

Explore our Highlights

Get started

Get started at the British Library, photo of a Reading Room

Find out how to get a Reader Pass

Support us

Support the British Library

Help grow, protect and share our collection

Business support

Business support at the British Library

We can help you start, run and grow your business

Work with us

Students working in the Library

Current vacancies and other opportunities – and how to apply