The British Library serves many people, from researchers using our reading rooms and visitors to our exhibitions and public spaces, to remote users of our website and online services.

We promise

• to treat you at all times with courtesy, professionalism and efficiency
• to communicate with you in clear, straightforward language
• to deal promptly with all enquiries, both written and in person
• to welcome all your suggestions and comments.

Our service will be prompt and efficient

• We will try to keep queuing to a minimum
• We will aim to meet or better our service-specific advertised delivery targets
• We will offer alternative ways of contacting us or of getting information
• We will give priority to rectifying problems caused by our error.

Our service will be professional

• We will serve you in a polite and friendly manner
• We will make sure that we are trained to give you the help and advice you need
• We will hold your personal information in confidence and in accordance with the Data Protection Act and General Data Protection Regulation
• We will try to keep our services open during all advertised hours and will try to give a reasonable period of notice when we make changes to services or hours of opening
• Where an enquiry falls beyond the scope of the service, we will refer you to a more appropriate source of information.

Our service will be reliable and consistent

• We will try to keep our services open during all advertised hours and will try to give a reasonable period of notice when we make changes to services or hours of opening
• We will try to keep services fully staffed
• We will provide a clean, tidy and safe environment
• We will keep noise to a minimum in Reading Rooms
• We will ensure equipment is in working order
• We will provide back up services, wherever possible, if equipment fails
• We will provide accurate and up to date guides and information
• We will provide displays, events and exhibitions that are accurate, stimulating and enjoyable.

Our service will be responsive

• We aim to be as responsive to your needs as our resources permit
• We will respond to the comments we receive
• We will hold regular surveys and report back to you on the findings
• We will consult you on specific topics
• We will provide comments forms on our website and in all public areas.

Our service will be fair to everyone

• We are committed to providing the same level of service to all users
• We will process all applications for Reader Passes fairly and equally in accordance with the Library's admissions policy
• We will try to meet the needs of those Readers who require further assistance to use catalogues, services or collections
• We will have regular training programmes for staff to increase their awareness of those issues important to people with disabilities.

Our targets

Customer Services

• We aim to answer your telephone call within 20 seconds and 85% of all calls within 30 seconds
• We aim to respond to all written general enquiries within 5 days of receipt
• We will give priority to order queries and aim to respond within 24 hours
• We aim to respond to payment queries within 5 days of receipt
• We aim to process Document Supply account registrations within 48 hours.

St Pancras Reading Rooms, London

• We will process all applications for a Reader Pass within 20 minutes
• We will deliver 90% of collection items stored onsite within 70 minutes
• We will deliver 90% of collection items stored offsite within 48 hours (excluding weekends)
• We will process orders for up to 4 items requested by telephone and 6 items requested by letter or email in advance of a visit (1 item can be ordered without a shelfmark).

Boston Spa Reading Room

• We will process all applications for a Reader Pass within 20 minutes
• We will deliver 90% of collection items within 48 hours
• We will process orders for up to 4 items requested by telephone and 6 items requested by letter or email in advance of a visit (1 item can be ordered without a shelfmark).

Document Supply

• We aim to process 99% of 2 hour and 24 hour orders to meet specified service levels and 97% of all standard service orders within 5 days.

Imaging Services

• We aim to process orders within 15 working days but collection items requiring curatorial permission and preservation checks, such as rare books or manuscripts, will take longer. Where we know that your order is likely to be subject to such delays, we will contact you to advise of this.

Box Office

• We aim to respond to booking queries within 24 hours of receipt.