[フレーム]Skip to content

Welcome to the British Library

We are the UK's national library. Open to everyone and free to use.

What do you want to do today?

Search our main catalogue

Discover our collections

Visit the Library

Use our study spaces

Everything for

Business

Schools

Research

Events and exhibitions

An illustration for the Story Explorers exhibition at the British Library, including a montage of different elements, including two moons, a cat in a spaceship, two birds, a frog, a tree and stars.

Story Explorers: A journey through imaginary worlds

16 May 2025 – 18 January 2026

Take a free family trip through our collection and discover the stories behind objects, which take you to wondrous places. For children 0–9.

Exhibition

Secret Maps exhibition at the British Library.

Secret Maps

24 October 2025 – 18 January 2026

Step into the shadows at this major new exhibition revealing the stories hidden in some of history’s most mysterious maps.

Exhibition

Ezra collective playing at the British Library

All events

Discover exhibitions, events, and courses with a host of world-class speakers. In London, Yorkshire and online.

Latest updates

Collection access and item requesting temporarily suspended

20 October 2025

We are suspending item ordering and access to our entire collection from Monday 1 – Sunday 7 December 2025.

Support our conservation appeal

Help us keep the stories in our collections safe. We’re aiming to raise 50,000ドル to support the conservation of extraordinary items, from ancient scrolls to royal charters.

Close up of 14th-century charter

Contact us

Need some help? Find answers to common questions, chat with our customer services team, or send us feedback.

A young man talks to a woman in front of a computer screen at the Reading Room helpdesk in the British Library in London

Photo by Sam Walton

The British Library - the national Library of the UK