British Library takes measures over busy Easter period

The British Library continues to see a rise in the number of people using our Reading Rooms, despite electronic resources being increasingly used as tools for research. Already vibrant and busy, we experience a significant increase in numbers during academic holidays. Over the Easter holiday period, we are implementing some temporary measures to manage the increase in numbers.

The measures we are implementing aim to help our Readers; to ensure as many people that need to access our collections can do so. These measures were communicated to Readers in advance of the busy period, and will continue to be conveyed throughout it, via a series of communication channels.

The measures we have taken are:

• Increasing staff resources and desk numbers in Reading Rooms
• Providing additional quiet spaces for Readers to use
• Introducing an improved system to manage occupancy, and direct Readers to less busy Rooms
• Providing information to Readers via our monthly Reader Bulletin, newly installed information screens and the British Library website on the actions we are taking and what Readers can do to ensure the best possible experience during this period of high demand.

For further information and please contact Annabelle Cozens at the British Library Press Office, Telephone +44 (0)20 7412 7105, e-mail annabelle.cozens@bl.uk.