Rebecca Lawrence
Sir Colin St John Wilson
1973
We are the national library of the UK. Our shelves hold over 170 million items – a living collection that gets bigger every day.
Although our roots extend back centuries, we collect everything published today, tomorrow and decades into the future. We have millions of books, but also newspapers, maps, sound recordings, patents and stamps.
Our spaces are open for study, a place to meet friends, to start up a new business or to get inspired by visiting our galleries and events.
On 13 April, the British Library released Knowledge Without Borders, its first report exploring the impact of its international collaborations with partners around the world.
