The British Library wants everyone to feel welcome. Anyone over 16 can register for a pass. People aged 12 to 16 who need to look at collections they can't find elsewhere can join and be accompanied by a carer or teacher.
Here are some reasons why you might come to love the Library:
The building at St Pancras is addictive. It is comfortable, stunning, spacious and quietly buzzy. There are exhibitions, treasures on display, events, works of art, cafes, lounges, WiFi access and a bookshop.
The collections are huge and varied, it might take you 6000 years to read everything. You can listen to the nation's archive of sound recordings, explore the India Office Archives, look at old maps, rare books, music manuscripts, newspapers, comics and magazines and much more.
You can get advice if you're setting up a new enterprise or invention, or if you're working in the creative industries through the Business IP Centre.
If you can't get to London, you can access the collections online, at a reading room in Boston Spa (Yorkshire), through British Library Direct and through loans via your public library.
However, you may find your school, college or local libraries easier to use.
Here's why the British Library can take some getting used to:
Apart from some reference materials on the shelves, you can't browse to see what you want. Instead you search the computer catalogue , then order your items from storage and wait to collect them. This might take 70 minutes or longer, depending on where they are stored or how busy the Library is.
You can't take the books out of the reading rooms, though you can pay for scans and photocopies.
The collection is very big so certain kinds of material are sent to certain reading rooms. You have to find out which reading room suits your needs.
Groups of students can't talk together in the reading rooms so bear this in mind for group research projects.
You won't be able to take food, sweets or drinks into the Reading Rooms.
Tips for making the best use of the British Library:
Use the online catalogue before your visit to plan (and order if you can).
Because you can't browse shelves in the Library, go armed with a booklist or at least one item you know you have to see that day.
Also, take some risks. If the catalogue throws up some unusual or old items that sound interesting, order them and see.
Follow the rules to prevent damage and theft of the collections.
Before going into the reading rooms, leave your bag and coat in a cloakroom or locker and put what you need in a clear plastic bag. This will be inspected each time you enter and leave the reading room. Bring a pencil (or laptop/PDA) for your notes as you can't use a pen.
Bring something to do while you wait for your books to arrive.
Do ask for help.
Do ask about special collections for things that you wouldn't see in other libraries. You are allowed to turn the pages of truly old books and manuscripts, but make sure you know what to do to take care of them.
The day can pass very quickly. Find a system to take notes as quickly as you can, so that you can spend more time reading and exploring the collections.
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