Current projects

Help support our ambition to use the newest technologies to transform 'stored' knowledge into 'smart' knowledge. Shelves of manuscripts, map plans and other items previously only available to view in our Reading Rooms, can be brought to life and shared through worldwide digital access.

Our current digitisation projects are:

King George III’s Topographical Collection of maps and views
The King's collection is one of the jewels of the British Library’s holdings. With some 60,000 items, the collection is regarded by experts as one of the largest, most important and beautiful collections of maps and views in the world. Find out more.

Promoting research into our Greek collections
We hold approximately 1,075 unique volumes of Greek manuscripts, of which around half are illuminated or decorated. It is arguably the largest and most important resource for the study of Hellenic culture outside Greece ranging from the third century BC to the present century. Find out more.

Opening Up Access to the Persian Collections
One of the largest collections of Persian manuscripts - 11,000 - resides at the British Library. Originating from the whole of the Islamic world, including Iran, Central Asia and India, they range from handwritten 12th century manuscripts to typed texts of recent years. Find out more.

Literature Live
This will bring to life the worlds in which works of English Literature were written. A comprehensive web resource full of fabulous items from our collection, it will also contain films and articles from experts to inform and inspire scholars everywhere. Find out more.