News and updates

Read the latest news and updates from the British Library. Featuring exhibition announcements, details about our latest acquisitions, important service updates, and information for Readers and visitors.

View of the British Library building and piazza in St Pancras, London from above — Photo by Tony Antoniou

Latest updates

9 Items

External view of the British Library building in St Pancras, London from below.

News

St Pancras site closed 14–15 March

18 February 2026

Our London St Pancras site will be closed on Saturday 14 and Sunday 15 March for essential maintenance work.

News

Introducing our new catalogues

15 December 2025

Our new main catalogue is here, as well as our interim Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue.

Research

News

Planned strike action in London from 8 – 12 December 2025

Find out how our services will be impacted during this period.

View from above of the Humanities Reading Room in the British Library in London, with people sat at desks.

News

Collection access and item requesting suspension

Please be aware that access to our collection will be suspended from Monday 1 – Sunday 14 December 2025 while we prepare to launch our new catalogue. Find out more.

Research

A photo of the outside of the British Library, London

News

Restoring our services – November 2025 update

21 November 2025

In the coming weeks and months we will be restoring a number of key functions.

A double page opening of Jane Austen's manuscript for chapters 10 and 11 of Persuasion.

News

New Jane Austen display in Treasures Gallery

19 November 2025

A new display to mark the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth can now be viewed in our Treasures Gallery.

A Sphinx and hieroglyphs matched with Armenian script to mark out the dual identities in this Armenian-Egyptian almanac from 1914. (Egiptahay taretsʿoyts, 17070.d.28).

News

Armenian-British history display now open

9 October 2025

Uncover a unique view of Armenian-British history in a display in our Sir John S. Ritblatt Treasures Gallery from 27 September 2025 until 22 February 2026.

A selection of doodles by Mustapha Matura

News

New acquisition on pioneering Black British playwright announced

We have acquired the archive of Mustapha Matura (1939–2019), one of the first Black British-based playwrights to have a play staged in London’s West End.

A woman sits, looking serious and wearing in-ear headphones, at a laptop, in the public study spaces of the British Library in London.

News

Launching a new British Library website

7 July 2025

We’re really pleased to share our new website with the world. This is just the first of many steps that will improve how everyone can use the Library online.

Research

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