How to request items not in the catalogue

Our online catalogues do not contain records for all the items we hold; but you can use these catalogues to order items only found in card catalogues.

How you request items, which are not recorded in our online catalogue, differs according to the item's Collection Area:

Document Supply

To request an item:

Complete the mandatory Shelfmark field
Enter Author and/or Title and /or Year information, if you wish (these are not mandatory fields)
Click Add to basket.

Humanities and Social Sciences Collection

To request an item:

Complete the mandatory Shelfmark field
Enter Author and/or Title and /or Year information, if you wish (these are not mandatory fields)
Click Add to basket.

Maps Collection

To request an item:

Complete the mandatory Shelfmark field
Enter Author and/or Title and /or More information, if you wish (these are not mandatory fields)
Click Add to basket.

Maps (OS large scale pre-1950)

To request an item, complete the mandatory fields:

Select the appropriate Country button
Enter the County Name
Select the appropriate Scale
Enter a Sheet No. or Parish; if you wish you can also specify a Subsheet but this field is not mandatory
Select an Edition
Click Add to basket.

Maps (OS large scale post 1950)

To request an item:

Select the appropriate Scale button
Enter the National Grid letters
Enter the National Grid Numbers
Select the Quadrant
Enter Notes, if you wish (this field is not mandatory)
Click Add to basket.

Music Collection

To request an item:

Enter the mandatory Shelfmark of the item you require
Enter a Name and/or Title and /or Year, if you wish (these are not mandatory fields)
Click Add to basket.

Add to basket

Once you click Add to basket, for all items, except for journals or books-in-series, a message confirms that the item has been added to your basket. If the item is a journal, or book-in-series, a pop-up displays and you should:

Enter a Year or Volume
Enter a note if this helps identify the item
Click Confirm; a message confirms that the item has been added to your basket.

You can add more items to your basket or, to Request item(s) in your Basket, click the Basket link in the top right of the screen (next to the Logout button).

Items not requested will remain in your basket for up to 90 days but they are still available for other people to request.

Electoral Registers

The Electoral Registers form that you use to request registers is found in Explore the British Library under 'Request Other Items'. You will be prompted to login before you can view the form and request the items.

To use the form to request Electoral registers you will need to know:

Whether the register pre-dates 2000 or post-dates 2002.
The shelfmark of the register.
The constituency.

Our guide to the Library's collection of Electoral Registers will help you identify these details, it includes:

Electoral Registers and their Uses (PDF format), which provides information about what we hold.
Parliamentary Constituencies and their Registers since 1832 (PDF format), which lists the shelfmarks.

For further information, or help with ordering, please consult with staff at the Reference Enquiries Desk in the Social Sciences Reading Room, or contact:

Social Sciences Reference Service
Tel: +44 (0)20 7412 7894
Reference Enquiry Team

To request an Electoral Register, other than a microfilm item:

Select Electoral Registers
Check the 'Up to 2000' or 'From 2002' radio button.
Enter the Shelfmark (this field is mandatory).
Enter the Constituency.
Click Add to basket.

To request a microfilm Electoral Register (shelfmarks beginning with SPR.Mic.P):

Select Humanities and Social Sciences Collection.
Enter the Shelfmark (this field is mandatory).
Enter the Constituency in the title field.
Click Add to basket.

Add to basket

Once you click Add to basket a pop-up displays and you should:

Input a Year (this field is mandatory).
NB: Only one year can be requested at a time; you cannot order consecutive years for electoral registers.
Input a note if this helps identify the item.
Click Confirm; and you will be advised that the item has been added to your basket.

You can add more items to your basket or, to Request item(s) in your Basket, click the Basket link in the top right of the screen (next to the Logout button).

Items not requested will remain in your basket for up to 90 days but they are still available for other people to request.