About the British Library
We are the national library of the UK. Our shelves hold over 170 million items – a living collection that gets bigger every day.
Photo by Tony Antoniou
We are the UK’s national library – free to use and open to everyone.
At the British Library you can unlock your ideas and imagination through the power of knowledge. Our walls echo with the buzz of people reading, thinking, writing and encountering new worlds. At the desk next to yours, someone might be drafting a novel. Starting a business. Writing their first university essay. Working towards a discovery that will one day change lives.
If you’d like support, our expert staff can help you find what you need. Our spaces across London and Yorkshire are designed for focused study and our collection contains over 170 million items. There are world-altering documents and manuscripts by history’s most original thinkers. Centuries of books, newspapers and maps. And a growing archive of everything published in the UK, including online.
We’re dedicated to connecting people with knowledge – whether it’s through
- our digital archives and resources which help young people develop skills and imagine new futures
- our network of Business & IP Centres where thousands of start-ups begin every year
- our partnerships with libraries around the UK and across the globe
- our busy programme of events, in person and online
It’s time to follow your curiosity – you never know what you might discover.
Explore our vision for the British Library in our Knowledge Matters Strategy (PDF, 2.8MB).
Quick links and visitor information
What the British Library does
Custodianship
We build, curate and preserve the UK’s national collection of published, written and digital content.
Research
We support and stimulate research of all kinds.
Business
We help businesses to innovate and grow.
Culture
We engage everyone with memorable cultural experiences.
Learning
We inspire young people and learners of all ages.
Photo by Jonathon Vines
International
We work with partners around the world to advance knowledge and mutual understanding.
Our strategic priorities between now and 2030
Access, engagement and inclusion
Ensuring that the services we offer, and the collection we hold, are truly ‘for everyone’.
Modernising our library services
Investing in skills, processes, systems and capabilities to deliver the quality of library services our users deserve.
Deepening our partnerships
Collaborating with libraries and memory institutions of all kinds across the UK and around the world, to achieve more than we ever could by ourselves.
Sustainability and climate change
Reducing our carbon impact and collaborating with partners to create a more sustainable future.
Find out about sustainability at the Library. Read our strategy.
New spaces, North and South
In Yorkshire and in London, delivering new, world-class physical spaces designed to welcome future generations of visitors and users.
Our organisation and governance
Governance
Find out who the key people are at the Library and how we are organised and governed. Read our reports for more about what we're achieving.
Complaints and feedback
We are committed to providing excellent service and welcome feedback to improve what we offer. Find out how to send us feedback or make a formal complaint.
How to borrow collection items for exhibitions
We are proud to lend items from our collection to exhibitions and displays around the world. Please read our policy and procedures for borrowing for exhibitions.
Support our work and donate to the British Library
As a charity, we work to preserve and share our collection of over 170 million items, which grows every day. Make a donation or explore ways to support our work.
Explore more about the British Library
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