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What’s on

The Queens Elizabeth and Mary featured side by side

Elizabeth and Mary: Royal Cousins, Rival Queens

Fri 8 Oct 2021 - Sun 20 Feb 2022

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

Historical map of Ireland

Ireland and the Tudor State

Wed 26 Jan 2022

Suzannah Lipscomb and Malcolm Gaskill

The True Story of an American Witch-Hunt

Tue 1 Feb 2022

Paul Baker and Outrageous book cover composite

Outrageous! The Story of Section 28

Mon 7 Feb 2022

RSL Vital Discussions: Remembering Kay Dick

Tue 8 Feb 2022

composite of speakers and bookcover

Notes On The Great Work Of Meeting Yourself, with Yrsa Daley Ward

Wed 9 Feb 2022

Robert Dudley and Lord Darnley

The Queens' Lovers

Thu 10 Feb 2022

Composite of Gillian Anderson and Andrew OHagan

Literature Matters: RSL 200 – Gillian Anderson and Andrew OHagan get into Character

Tue 15 Feb 2022

Portrait of Queen Elizabeth I

Elizabeth and Mary: Curators' Talk

Free

Wed 16 Feb 2022

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News

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.…

A person in a gallery looking at a manuscript

Keeping everyone safe

In line with the latest guidance you must now wear a face covering in all areas of the Library, unless you’re exempt.

Charlotte Bronte manuscripts

Brontë treasures saved for the nation

An astonishing set of manuscripts and printed books by the Brontës has been entrusted to us.

Blogs

Medieval manuscripts blog from the British Library

‘As goodly a child as I have seen’

European blog from the British Library

“Only your work will be remembered”: the 150th anniversary of Jože Plečnik’s birth

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

Library Lives: Rosemary O’Hare, Glasgow

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

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Support the British Library

Help grow, protect and share our collection

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Business support at the British Library

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Students working in the Library

Current vacancies and other opportunities – and how to apply