About Explore Archives and Manuscripts

With Explore Archives and Manuscripts you can search for information about our rich and unique archive and manuscript co...

About Explore the British Library

With Explore the British Library you can search either for records of our collections, or our website, or records for 'o...

Access manuscripts and archives

Accessing manuscripts and archives and obtaining a Letter of introduction or recommendation

Access the manual of analogue audio restoration te...

Manual of analogue audio restoration techniques

AHRC Collaborative Doctoral Partnerships

Up to four AHRC PhD studentships are available each year to support collaborative research projects drawing on our colle...

Ask the Reference Enquiry Team

Contact details for our Reference Enquiry Team who can help you with short research enquiries

British Library Online Account

You need a British Library Online Account to use many of our services.

Can I copy material in the Reading Rooms?

What you need to know about copying British Library collections in our Reading Rooms

Can I take photographs of British Library material...

You can now take photos of our collection items yourself in British Library Reading Rooms

Catalogue unavailable

Our main catalogue - Explore the British Library - is unavailable; We are working to resolve this and apologise for the...

Christmas delivery times to the St Pancras Reading...

Christmas delivery times to the St Pancras Reading Roooms

Digital collections access restrictions

This page explains why not all of the Library’s digital collections are available offsite.

Ethical terms of use

Learn about our framework for including digitised collections in online projects, which considers both legal and ethical...

Family history: a guide to sources

A guide to sources for family history and genealogy research, and where to find them.

FAQ for EThOS and Thesis

Find answers to and guidance on our most frequently asked questions.