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.
The British Library is delighted to host its annual Open and Engaged Conference over three non-consecutive afternoons: Monday, Wednesday, and Thursday, in the week of 20 October 2025, as part of International Open Access Week.
