British Library
| British Library | |
|---|---|
The British Library from the piazza | |
| 51°31′46″N 0°07′37″W / 51.52944°N 0.12694°W | |
| Location | 96 Euston Road London, NW1 2DB, England |
| Type | National library |
| Established | 1 July 1973 |
| Architect(s) | Colin St John Wilson Mary Jane Long |
| Branches | 1 (Boston Spa, West Yorkshire) |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Books, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings and manuscripts |
| Size | 200 million+ items[1]:
|
| Legal deposit | Yes, provided in law by:
|
| Access and use | |
| Access requirements | Open to anyone with a need to use the collections and services |
| Other information | |
| Budget | £142 million[2] |
Chair | Dame Carol Black |
Chief Executive | Rebecca Lawrence |
| Website | bl |
Listed Building – Grade I | |
| Official name | The British Library, piazza, boundary wall and railings to Ossulston Street, Euston Road and Midland Road |
| Designated | 31 July 2015 |
| Reference no. | 1426345[3] |
The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom.[4] Based in London, it is the largest library in the world, with an estimated collection of over 200 million items from multiple countries.[1][5][6][7] As a legal deposit library, it receives copies of all books produced in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as a significant proportion of overseas titles distributed in the United Kingdom. The library operates as a non-departmental public body sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
The British Library is a major research library, with items in many languages[8] and in many formats, both print and digital: books, manuscripts, journals, newspapers, magazines, sound and music recordings, videos, play-scripts, patents, databases, maps, stamps, prints, drawings. The Library's collections include around 14 million books,[9] along with substantial holdings of manuscripts and items dating as far back as 2000 BC. The library maintains a programme for content acquisition and adds some three million items each year occupying 9.6 kilometres (6 mi) of new shelf space.[10]
The Library's purpose-built building stands next to St Pancras station in London. It was officially opened by Elizabeth II on 25 June 1998, and is classified as a Grade I listed building "of exceptional interest" for its architecture and history.[11] Off-site storage is provided at a second site near Boston Spa in Yorkshire.
- ^ a b "A few of our favourite things about the British Library". bl.uk. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ^ a b Library, British (26 July 2010). British Library thirty-seventh annual report and accounts 2009/10. Stationery Office. ISBN 978-0-10-296664-0.
- ^ Historic England. "The British Library, piazza, boundary wall and railings to Ossulston Street, Euston Road and Midland Road (1426345)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 24 August 2021.
- ^ "Using the British Library" Archived 23 October 2021 at the Wayback Machine. British Library. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
- ^ "BL Accounts 2019" (PDF). bl.uk. Archived (PDF) from the original on 22 July 2019. Retrieved 22 July 2019.
- ^ "BL Exhibition Notes". bl.uk. Archived from the original on 9 August 2019. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ "How Big is the UK Web Archive?". bl.uk. Archived from the original on 31 August 2018. Retrieved 11 June 2018.
- ^ "Using the British Library". British Library. Archived from the original on 24 October 2021. Retrieved 11 September 2014.
- ^ "The British Library; Explore the world's knowledge". British Library. Archived from the original on 26 March 2012. Retrieved 12 April 2010.
- ^ The British Library Annual Report and Accounts 2010/11, p. 31 Archived 24 December 2016 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
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