What's currently available: Introduction

Main catalogue
This is our main catalogue of books and other published material, and some freely available electronic resources. Here you can create a user profile where you can save your searches, order items and check the status of your requests.

Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue
The interim Archives and Manuscripts Catalogue contains descriptions of our archives and manuscripts collections and much of our visual arts collection.

Sound and Moving Image Catalogue
The interim Sound and Moving Image Catalogue contains records for our sound and vision archive.

Incunabula Short Title Catalogue

British National Bibliography (BNB)
Published as linked data

English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC)
Explore the English Short Title Catalogue (ESTC) hosted by the Consortium of European Research Libraries (CERL) to search around 500,000 records of works printed in the English-speaking world before 1801.

Electronic Legal Deposit (eLD) catalogue
In 2013 the six legal deposit libraries of the UK and Ireland were granted the right to receive a copy of every UK electronic publication, on the same basis as they have received print publications such as books, magazines and newspapers since the seventeenth century. You can search for eLD material which was deposited before October 2023 in this catalogue including e-books and journal articles. 

Catalogue of Illuminated Manuscripts

Catalogue of Photographically Illustrated Books

Evanion catalogue

Register of Preservation Surrogates
A microfiche version is available, please ask our team for help

Sloane Printed Books catalogue

Electoral registers
Several are searchable through printed catalogues and handlists, please contact us or speak to teams in the Reading Rooms. Find out more in our guide.

Microfilm and microfiche 
Please check with the Reference team for further details about access

Parliamentary papers
Several are searchable through printed catalogues and handlists, please contact us or speak to teams in the Reading Rooms

Physical archives
Several are searchable through printed catalogues and handlists, please contact us or speak to teams in the Reading Rooms. You can find some of our collections using the National Archives Discovery catalogue and filtering by “Other archives only.”

Physical manuscripts
Several are searchable through printed catalogues and handlists, please contact us or speak to teams in the Reading Rooms. You can find some of our collections using the National Archives Discovery catalogue and filtering by “Other archives only.”

Printed newspapers
These are included in our online catalogue. You can consult hard copy newspapers in our Newsroom in London, and our Boston Spa Reading Room in Yorkshire. Where possible we will provide the requested newspaper on microfilm, as some of our collection is restricted due to its fragile state.

Printed books
The majority is included in the online catalogue

Printed journals and serials
The majority is included in the online catalogue

Printed maps
The majority is included in the online catalogue

Printed music scores
The majority is included in the online catalogue

Rare books
The majority is included in the online catalogue

Visual arts content
Some available. Please contact us to make an appointment

Digitised manuscripts
Over 2,000 available online, with more to come.

Digitised books
Over 700,000 digitised books from our collection are available on Google books. Find out more in our guide.

Endangered Archives Programme

Sound collections
Some of our audio collections can be accessed onsite in St Pancras by making an appointment. Please contact us so we can help you identify what you need.

The British Newspaper Archive
You can access nearly 90 million pages of digitised newspapers for free on Reading Room computers or your own device when you’re in our Reading Rooms. Register for the BNA and connect to our WiFi to access.

Qatar Digital Library

International Dunhuang Programme

Electronic Legal Deposit (eLD)
Electronic Legal Deposit (eLD) journal issues, journal articles and books deposited before October 2023 can be accessed on PCs in our Reading Rooms.

Databases and eresources
Many available in the main catalogue and work underway to restore the rest in 2026.

Broadcast news

Business and Management Portal

Database of Bookbindings
Selected images are on Wikimedia commons. Find out more in our guide.

Database of Italian Academies 

Electronic Table of Contents (ETOC)  

India Office Family History Search   

Microform Research Collections

National Radio Archive content

Social Welfare Portal  

Sounds website

Video and moving image content

Web Archive
Work underway to restore in 2026

Requesting collection items through our main catalogue
Contact the Reference team if you would like to confirm your item’s availability and restrictions before you submit your requests. 

Enquiries
Our team can answer your questions and help you find accurate and relevant information. You can speak to us in the Reading Rooms, send us a message at any time, or speak to us instantly on Chat, open Monday to Friday 10.00 - 17.00

Reading Room PCs
Networked PCs are available in all of our Reading Rooms which can be used for browsing the internet (including the Library website, catalogues and Libguides). You can’t use external devices (such as USB) or access email on PCs.

Scanning
Scanners are available to use in some of our Reading Rooms. You’ll need to bring your own USB drive to save any scans you make. It is not possible to print or email scans from the machine.

CD-ROM access
You can consult collection items which are viewable on CD-ROM, including Chemical Abstracts, using specific, non-networked PCs in some of our Reading Rooms. A member of the team will be able to show you which PCs can be used.

Readit Wand device
A software designed to support those with visual impairment, you can use a Readit Wand on specific, non-networked PCs in some our Reading Rooms in St Pancras to convert printed material into an accessible electronic format.
Please note, these are not available in Boston Spa.
Ask staff in Reading Rooms for help using Readit or get in touch with accessibility@bl.uk for more information.

Adaptive technology
Please speak to a member of staff for assistance or contact accessibility@bl.uk

Printing
Printing is currently unavailable while we work to implement new software to manage requests. 
Work underway to restore in 2026

Imaging services and digitisation
Details of the service, including prices and order form, are available on our website.

British Library On Demand
An interim service available to business account holders.
Please email customer@bl.uk to place an order

Images Online
Images of collection items to purchase

ISNI and ISSN services 
Please contact us at isni@bl.uk and issn-uk@bl.uk

MARC and ISIL 
Please contact us at uk-isilmarc@bl.uk

Research guides

Research repository

Teaching and learning resources
Some available using Padlet

WiFi  
Free to use, no need to register

Z39.50 service
A free authenticated service to download MARC 21 records from the British Library catalogue and the BNB
Please contact us at metadata@bl.uk

Bibliographic Retrieval Service

EThOS
Work underway to restore in early 2026

My Reading Room Requests  
Check the status of your item orders by contacting itemrequests@bl.uk

My Workspace