Our Transformation
We’re transforming the British Library
The British Library is one of the great cultural creations of the world. Based both in London and Yorkshire, we’re home to over 170 million items – a living collection that grows every day.
The thoughts and ideas in our care have limitless potential. They empower entrepreneurs to kickstart a new business, creating new jobs. Young people to develop a lifelong love of reading, improving their literacy skills. Scientists to advance new discoveries, finding solutions to the global challenges we face. Creative people to craft the books, plays and music that enrich our cultural lives.
We’re now transforming the Library, north and south, to help knowledge-seekers of all ages connect with even more of our collection. Filled with inspiring resources, exhibitions and events that challenge ways of thinking, for everyone to make new discoveries, innovate and create.
What are we planning?
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An expanded national Library in London, fit for the 21st century, with state-of-the-art spaces to welcome 500,000 more people a year to our exhibitions, learning programmes, business support, events and more
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A major new home in the heart of Leeds that will bring these opportunities to an additional 10 million people in the region – a catalyst for regeneration, just as our iconic St Pancras building was to the Kings Cross area
Powering it all is our site in Boston Spa, Yorkshire where 70% of our collection is housed, which will benefit from a cutting-edge new storage facility providing 225km of additional storage space and a new learning centre, hosting workshops which will develop young people’s research, digital, writing, information and media literacy skills. The new storage building will be one of the most sustainable buildings of its kind in the world, and serve as a model for institutions across the globe.
Why is it needed?
The world is more complex than ever before, and we need to develop new approaches to tackle the challenges we face. That’s where we, as the UK’s national library, are uniquely placed to help. By bringing people together, empowered by the world’s knowledge contained in our collection, we can change how we understand the world and find solutions to global problems.
But to make sure we can help people use our collection to shape the future, we need to reimagine what it means to be a 21st-century library. That’s why we’re transforming, building new state-of-the-art spaces, north and south, and expanding our work.
How you can help
This is a once-in-a-generation project to transform the UK’s national library and an institution admired around the world. We’re seeking the support of visionary philanthropists and partners to make this vision a reality.
For more information about how you can help us transform our buildings and the lives of the people around them, please contact our Development team at supporters@bl.uk.
We’re so grateful to our local, commercial and government partners for their support of our journey so far.