IS[R]A

The British Library (BL)

Original Name
The British Library (BL)

Institution Type
Library

Country
United Kingdom

Address
The British Library St Pancras 96 Euston Road London NW1 2DB

Description
The National Library of the United Kingdom, contains a collection of approximately 150 million items. Three million new items are incorporated every year (manuscripts, maps, newspapers, magazines, prints and drawings, music scores, and patents). The Sound Archive holds sound recordings from 19th-century cylinders to the latest CD, DVD and minidisc recordings. The library also owns 8 million stamps and other philatelic items.

The library is systematically digitizing its holdings. Exhibitions, public events and educational visits are also a part of the library's activities.

East European collection is rich with samizdat materials and "independent" publications. It is especially true for Russian, Polish, Czech and Slovak collections, although other East-European collections also have considerable holdings of such materials.

The Russian collection:
- Circa 500 titles of Gorbachev-period "independent" and "informal" publications;
- Microfiche collection of Russian State Public Library's "Kollektsiia nezavisimoi pechati SSSR, 1987-1990" [Mic.F.861];

The Polish collection:
- "Solidarity Collection" (1970s-1989): independent publications, pamphlets, and newspapers (500 books, 430 serials, 250 ephemera);

Czech and Slovak collection:
- Started in 1983; covers the period of 1970's-80's

ISRA Affiliation Level
member