national library united_kingdom largest library world number items grade listed building library major research library holding million items countries languages formats print digital books manuscripts journals newspapers magazines sound music recordings videos play scripts patents maps stamps prints drawings library collections include million books substantial holdings manuscripts historical items dating far legal deposit library receives copies books produced united_kingdom ireland including significant proportion overseas titles distributed programme content acquisitions british library adds million items year occupying kilometres new shelf space library non public body sponsored media sport located north road london railway station railway station document storage centre reading room near miles east british detached library department continued host separated reading room building museum library moved purpose built building london historical background created july result british prior national library provided bulk holdings new library alongside smaller organisations folded functions previously exercised taken responsibilities library absorbed holds sound video recordings million discs thousands tapes core library historical collections based series donations acquisitions 18th century known foundation collections include books manuscripts sir sir king library king donated king years collections dispersed buildings central london places lending centre situated arch trading estate newspaper library north west london initial plans required demolition integral seven acre streets immediately museum library situated directly opposite long hard fought campaign led decision overturned library instead constructed site road railway station main collection housed single new building collection british overseas newspapers housed july library announced moving low use items new storage facility yorkshire planned close newspaper library ahead later similar facility site january april material moved delivered british library reading rooms london request daily shuttle service construction work newspaper storage building completed newspaper library closed november collection split boston spa sites library document supply collection based site collections housed yorkshire comprising low use material newspaper collections total material library holds library previously book storage depot south east london longer use new library designed specially purpose architect large includes pieces public art large sculptures bronze statue based study largest public building constructed united_kingdom 20th century middle building storey glass tower inspired similar structure containing printed volumes pamphlets manuscripts maps collected december new storage building opened new facility costing million capacity seven million items stored bar coded containers retrieved robots miles temperature humidity controlled storage space friday april head content strategy announced starting weekend library begin saving sites british website book online newsletter blog bid preserve nation digital memory amounted million sites containing billion web pages library material publicly available users end ensure technological material preserved future generations despite internet building grade listed august legal deposit traced copyright act established principle legal deposit ensuring libraries great_britain ireland entitled receive free copy item published distributed britain libraries oxford cambridge trinity college library dublin scotland wales automatically receive copy item published britain entitled items specifically request publisher learning published task centrally agency terms irish copyright law recently copyright related rights act entitled automatically receive free copy book published ireland alongside trinity college library dublin library library libraries constituent universities scotland wales entitled copies material published ireland formally requests chris mole introduced private member bill act act extends united_kingdom legal deposit requirements electronic documents selected websites library holds include materials languages asia north north east africa library reading rooms library open genuine need use collections permanent address wishes carry research apply reader pass required provide proof signature address historically wishing use specialised material unavailable public academic libraries given reader pass library criticised admitting numbers undergraduate students access university libraries reading rooms library replied admitted long legitimate personal work related academic research purpose majority catalogue entries found explore british library library main catalogue based collections western manuscripts large reading rooms offer hundreds seats filled researchers especially easter summer holidays british library reader pass holders able view reading room library site yorkshire hard copy newspaper collection september access available legal deposit collection material necessary visitors register reader use material available online makes number images items collections available online online gallery gives access images medieval books handful exhibition style items format includes facility turn virtual pages documents catalogue entries large number illuminated manuscript collections available online selected images pages growing number database significant british provides free online access sound recordings commercial secure electronic delivery service started cost million offers million items including journal titles million patents million reports conference proceedings researchers library patrons worldwide previously unavailable outside library copyright restrictions line government directive cover percentage operating costs fee charged user service longer profitable led series try prevent losses started signed agreement microsoft number books live search books project material available readers closed books currently available british library catalogue amazon october launched management business studies portal website designed allow digital access management research reports consulting reports working papers articles november million newspaper pages 18th 19th centuries available online project scan million pages years archive free search charge pages electronic collections explore latest iteration online catalogue contains nearly million records search view order items collections search contents library website library electronic collections include electronic resources number available remote access registered reader pass holders legal deposit libraries signed memorandum understanding create shared technical infrastructure implementing digital library system developed anticipation regulations extension act include non print electronic publications april storage located london edinburgh linked secure network constant communication automatically replicate self check repair data complete crawl domain based added annually contains internet archive collection policy system based france domain annually exhibitions number books manuscripts display general public sir open seven days week charge manuscripts exhibition include arthur king arthur captain cook journal history england stories room devoted solely asian items addition permanent exhibition frequent thematic exhibitions covered maps sacred texts history english language law including celebration anniversary business british library received grant million change reading rooms centre opened march holds arguably comprehensive collection business intellectual property material united_kingdom official library collection divided main information areas market research company information trade journals free charge hard copy online approximately subscription registered readers access collection million patent specifications countries collection dating collection includes official patents trade marks law reports material litigation information copyright available hard copy online staff trained guide small medium enterprises use range resources currently entrepreneur residence ambassador establishment british library absorbed based near yorkshire established site housed world war royal ordnance factory closed changed renamed known abbreviated holds million items including international journal titles conference proceedings million million official publications north american million articles held downloaded immediately collection supports research development overseas international industry particularly industry provides material higher education institutions students staff members public order items public library library offers find services assist researchers hard find material april launched new online ordering tracking system enables customers search available items view detailed availability delivery time information place track orders manage account preferences online sound archive holds million discs tapes collections come world cover entire range recorded sound music drama literature oral history wildlife sounds stretching years online catalogue updated daily possible listen recordings collection selected library based library launched new online resource british library sounds makes recordings available online higher education general public newspapers library holds complete collection british irish newspapers partly legal deposit legislation required newspapers supply copy edition newspaper library london editions national daily sunday newspapers complete total collection consists bound volumes containing tens millions newspapers titles shelves earlier dates collections include comprising 17th century newspapers featuring nearly million pages newspapers late 18th early 19th centuries section holds extensive collections non british newspapers numerous languages newspapers section based buildings considered provide inadequate storage conditions improvement closed sold redevelopment physical holdings divided sites high use periodicals rare items collections bulk collections stored new purpose built facility significant growing proportion collection available readers recently form year programme newspaper archives commercial partner subsidiary began launched november dedicated newspaper reading room opened april including facilities consulting digital materials exists hard copy material retrieved moving image services launched october moving image services provide access nearly million sound moving image items supported data million sound moving image recordings services copyright reasons accessed collaboration mirror archive june recording bbc national regional broadcast output includes million catalogue records playable programmes unlike include broadcasts broadcast news making air recordings daily radio news broadcasts seventeen channels including bbc itv channel_4 cnn france russia today china programs come subtitles searched greatly enhancing value collection research tool index learning teaching produced database television radio broadcasts million records growing million year cover channel broadcast repeat collections held collections established donation collection steadily developed comprise major collections number smaller ones encompassing wide range disciplines collections include postage revenue stamps postal essays covers entries stamp material specimen issues postal history materials official private posts etc countries periods extensive display material collections exhibit best permanent display diverse classic stamps material world approximately items sheets viewed display frames sheets collection material covers world available students researchers collections library actively literature subject makes british library world prime research centres head curator highlights collections highlights selected include diamond world earliest dated printed book printed dynasty major portion world second oldest manuscript bible greek 4th century early manuscript bible illuminated book gospel book oldest western binding copies latin bible printed germany giant medieval early illuminated gospel book produced germany bible illustrated tours 9th century copies sole surviving manuscript copy poem richly illustrated late medieval book hours owned duke important medieval bulgarian manuscript english translation personal copy original manuscript manuscript alice adventures ground given consortium american recognition britain courage facing hitler america came war collections manuscripts foundation collections foundation collections brought form initial manuscript holdings cotton manuscripts manuscripts manuscripts named collections named collections manuscripts include limited following manuscripts manuscripts king manuscripts manuscripts royal manuscripts collection manuscripts additional manuscripts additional manuscripts series covers manuscripts named collections contains manuscripts donated purchased bequeathed library numbering begins series considered continuation collection manuscripts numbered chief executives sir chief executive dame present
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