The British Library newspaper collections and future strategy

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to describe the history and current plans for the newspaper collections of the British Library.

Design/methodology/approach

The Library will create more access to its older collections, via mass digitisation of texts. The Library is seeking to work with UK newspaper publishers to secure the ingest of “born digital” newspapers, to present issues of recent newspapers to users in library reading rooms. Digitised newspapers will be taken into the Library's digital library storage system being developed for all types of digital materials that the Library is acquiring in growing quantities. There are plans to move the existing collections from Colindale to a new storage facility at its Boston Spa site, to ensure controlled environmental conditions for the original printed newspapers.

Findings

It was found that the British Library is investing in the future in order to improve access to a vital part of its collections.

Originality/value

This is one of the few published articles on how a national library deals with the massive task of providing access to newspapers.

Citation

Fleming, P. and King, E. (2009), "The British Library newspaper collections and future strategy", Interlending & Document Supply, Vol. 37 No. 4, pp. 223-228. https://doi.org/10.1108/02641610911006328