The British Library

The British Library is the national library of the United Kingdom and one of the largest libraries in the world. Its mission is to “make our intellectual heritage accessible to everyone, for research, inspiration and enjoyment.” The Library was established by an Act of Parliament in 1972, combining a number of predecessor institutions, including the Library of the British Museum, the National Central Library and the National Lending Library for Science and Technology, and began operations in July 1973. In the five decades since, it has developed into one of the world’s great research libraries, making more than 170 million collection items accessible via its Reading Rooms in London and Yorkshire, and online. The Library undertakes extensive activities grouped into six key purposes: Custodianship, Research, Business, Culture, Learning and International. To deliver these purposes the British Library collaborates with partner organizations across the UK and around the world; its most recent seven-year strategy - Knowledge Matters: the British Library, 2023-2030 - was published in May, 2023.