The British Library

Our work extends far beyond just London and Yorkshire, thanks to partnerships with other libraries and cultural organisations, nationally and internationally. Our recent blockbuster exhibition, Fantasy: Realms of Imagination is now on its international tour. The first venue is the Bowers Museum in California where the exhibition is on show until 16 February 2025. Visitors can embark on a journey through classic fairytales and folklore and on to the enchanting realms of Studio Ghibli. And they’ll uncover how ancient literary traditions continue to inspire fantasy writers today. We’re delighted that Wayland Games Ltd.  have continued their support of the Library and the Fantasy exhibition as our new International Tour Partner, helping us to open up our collection with even more people around the world. 

We are delighted to announce Rebecca Lawrence as our new Chief Executive, starting 2 January 2025. Reflecting on her appointment, Rebecca said: "I am honoured to take up the role of Chief Executive of the British Library, an institution I have loved and admired from childhood and throughout my adult life. The Library is one of the world’s great concentrations of trusted and verified knowledge, and through innovation and technology I believe we can transform access to this tremendous resource, as well as growing and developing it for future generations." Read more about the appointment: https://bit.ly/BLCEONews

Interested in how endangered archives are cared for and preserved? The full programme for our conference marking 20 years of our Endangered Archives Programme is now available. There’s lots to look forward to, with a range of talks from colleagues and activists in documentary heritage preservation, covering topics from climate change and digitisation, to training and skills exchange. Find out more and book your place: https://lnkd.in/eQP8dMmq #BritishLibrary #Library #Archives #Heritage

We're excited to introduce the latest addition to the Library – Weatherby, a majestic Harris hawk, and his expert handler from London Falconry 🦅 After exploring sustainable options, our Estates team decided to embrace the ancient art of falconry to address the persistent issue of pigeons nesting around our Grade 1 listed building. This natural, cruelty-free method leverages predator-prey relationships to deter problem birds and protect our historic spaces. Not only is this approach environmentally friendly, but it’s also quite spectacular to witness! The presence of Weatherby sends a clear message to pigeons that this territory is now off-limits, helping to preserve our outdoor spaces and reduce damage to the building. Falconry pest control is increasingly being used in cities across the UK, and we’re proud to champion this initiative to keep our site clean and beautiful for all who visit. Special thanks to London Falconry for their incredible support in helping us implement this initiative! #BritishLibrary #Library #Falconry #Sustainability #GreenLibraries

We’re excited to share a big step forward in our sustainability journey! 🌍 We’ve partnered with Naked Energy Ltd to install the UK’s largest solar heat system right here at our St Pancras site. Spanning over 712m², this cutting-edge technology will reduce our CO2 emissions by 55 tonnes each year and generate 216 MWh of renewable energy – enough to power and heat a community centre for a year! Naked Energy’s Virtu technology will not only supply sanitary hot water and heating, but will also helps us preserve our collection by maintaining the precise temperature and humidity levels needed. This project, supported by the Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme, is a major step toward our net zero goals and shows how historic buildings can embrace sustainable innovation. A greener future is being written right here at the British Library! 📚🔋 Naked Energy Ltd CBRE CBRE Global Workplace Solutions (GWS) Convert Energy #BritishLibrary #Library #GreenLibrariesWeek #GreenLibraries #Sustainability #SolarTech #RenewableEnergy

The climate crisis – and its potential effects on our operations and collections – is something that cuts through all the work we do. For over a decade we've been actively working to lessen our environmental footprint and aim to help the libraries sector take a leadership role in promoting sustainability. We’ve already done a lot to improve the sustainability of our own sites, operations and services, and now we’ve developed our first sustainability and climate change strategy which will help us take concerted action, including working towards net zero carbon. This #GreenLibrariesWeek, take a whistle-stop sustainability tour of some of the ways we've been lowering our environmental footprint: https://lnkd.in/e3cagYjX #Library #GreenLibraries #Sustainability #ClimateChange

Our CEO Sir Roly Keating shares a new blog about services we’ve recently restored, and our plans for the next phase of recovery from last October’s cyber-attack – including the sound archive and our popular Ethos resource of 600,000 digitised theses: https://lnkd.in/eSJs3UKB #BritishLibrary #Library #Collection

We are extremely proud to support a large community of businesses who put sustainability at the heart of what they do through our Business & IP Centre services, available in libraries around the UK. This #GreenLibrariesWeek we reached out to just a few of them, to find out their stories and gather tips on how you can take your first steps toward sustainability: https://lnkd.in/e2vagpKH #BritishLibrary #Library #Sustainability #GreenBusinesses #GreenLibraries

Climate change is real, urgent and serious. We know that we have a role to support society’s efforts to adapt to and address this crisis, which is why today we’re launching our new sustainability strategy. From decarbonising our buildings to opening up our collection to help find solutions to the environmental challenges we face, we’re dedicated to reducing our carbon impact and collaborating with partners to create a more sustainable future. Want to find out more about our plans? Read our sustainability strategy: https://lnkd.in/en_pAeGA #BritishLibrary #Library #Sustainability #ClimateChange #GreenLibraries #GreenLibrariesWeek

Join us this #GreenLibrariesWeek and discover how libraries across the UK are empowering communities to take meaningful action for a sustainable future. From sparking climate conversations to providing practical resources, libraries are at the forefront of inspiring change 🌱 Explore past talks on sustainability and nature from our partner libraries, available to watch on demand. Whether you're looking to green your home, deepen your understanding of the climate crisis, or simply learn how to make a difference, these sessions offer valuable insights and inspiration: https://lnkd.in/e9KJa9sc Plus, join us for our exciting lineup of upcoming events as part of Green Libraries Week. Together, we can help tackle the most pressing environmental issues of our time: https://bit.ly/BLBlogGLW #BritishLibrary #Library #Sustainability #ClimateChange