Printed books

Our vast collection of printed heritage encompasses materials from Britain, Europe and the wider world produced predominantly from the mid-15th century through to the 21st century. The collections cover a range of formats, including books, pamphlets, periodicals, early newspapers, handbills and advertisements.

Collection guides

Early printed books
Highlights of incunabula and books printed before 1600
Major named collections of printed books
Named Collection of printed books
Digitised printed books (16th–19th centuries) with Google Books
British Library printed collection items digitised in partnership with Google Books
Bookbindings
A wide-ranging collection of fine and historic bindings
Private Case
A collection of erotic printed books
Ballads and broadsides
Popular, cheap printed ephemera that kept people entertained and informed

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Help

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Subjects

Arts and humanities

Collections for the study of history, culture and society

Medieval and early modern Britain

British historical and literary manuscripts, 600–1600

Modern British history

British history from 1600 to the present

Contemporary Britain

Collections reflecting contemporary British society and culture

Black Britain and Asian Britain

Historical and contemporary resources on the experience of people of African, Asian and Caribbean heritage in Britain

Literature and drama

Collections relating to English literature and British theatre

Classics

Graeco-Roman antiquity, from the middle of the 2nd millennium BC to the end of the 6th century AD.

Music

The British Library has a world-famous collection of music

Social sciences

Research resources on politics, economics, law, sociology and other subjects.

Science

Our resources support the needs of specialists working in academia and business, and can support multidisciplinary research interests.

Americas

Extensive collections from the Americas and Oceania

Romance languages and Modern Greek

Our collections in French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Modern Greek cover a broad range of subjects

Rare Books and Music

Find information on the shelves
Access online databases and electronic books and journals
Order collection items to the Reading Room via our catalogues

If you need help, please ask our Reference Specialists at the enquiry desk, or contact the Rare Books Reference Team or Music Reference Team.

We offer a range of free Reader sessions and 1-2-1 consultations to help you make the best use of the Library's collections.

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Mon 10.00 – 20.00
Tue – Thu 09.30 – 20.00
Fri – Sat 09.30 – 17.00
Sun & English Public Holidays closed

Opening hours for all Reading Rooms

Blog posts

Peritas - Alexander the Great’s dog

Thursday, February 9, 2023

Most people have heard of Alexander the Great or his teacher Aristotle. Many have heard of Alexander’s warhorse Bucephalus, a horse so beloved that Alexander named a city, Bucephala, after him. How many people can tell the tale of Alexander’s...

The hidden life of Winifred Arthur, fore-edge painter

Tuesday, January 24, 2023

The working lives of Victorian women in England were apt to be hidden, rarely referenced in contemporary publications. This term could be doubly applied to gifted artist Winifred Arthur (b. 1864 in Lancashire) whose work was literally hidden. Winifred created...

Sculptures, time machines and vampires: items from the Americas collections on display in Leeds

Tuesday, January 17, 2023

The Henry Moore Institute in Leeds is currently displaying seven items from British Library collections as part of their FREE exhibition, The Colour of Anxiety: Race, Sexuality and Disorder in Victorian Sculpture – open until 26 February 2023 Two of...

Charles Tuckett Senior and the British Museum Bindery fire of 1865

Tuesday, January 3, 2023

What a difference a day makes! On the morning of 10 July 1865, Charles Tuckett (1796-1876) was manager of the British Museum bindery, a post he had held for 40 years. That evening a fire, which lasted from approximately 21.00...