Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Library, as a case study. However, these challenges are common to all
national libraries around the world. How do they continue to collect
and preserve information and knowledge that is no longer produced on
paper, but in digital format? And how do they continue to meet the
expectation that scholars and the general public will have access to that
information and knowledge in perpetuity?
The British Library is one of the world's most significant research
libraries, with a collection of more than 150 million items, including 14
million books, 920,000 journal and newspaper titles, 58 million patents
and 3 million sound recordings.
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Its historical treasures are numerous
and include the Lindisfarne Gospels, the Magna Carta and many other
important historical texts, maps and documents. The British Library is
also a magnificent example of how a research library can meet the needs
of many other diverse user groups, becoming not only a place for the
serious scholar, but a cultural history centre and a support centre for
small businesses. A visit to the building is a wonderful experience:
inspiring architecture and good frappuccino either from a café in the
courtyard, or, in poor weather, from an inside café. The British Library
runs a programme of fascinating exhibitions which make its special
collections accessible to the general public. At the time of writing, the
British Library is providing an exhibition called 'Henry VIII: Man and
Monarch', providing access to key documents from the life and times of
the bloodthirsty king whose reign changed the nature of England. The
British Library also offers stimulating workshops, activities and
resources for teachers and learners of all ages. It supports entrepreneurs
through its Business and IP [intellectual property] Centre, which
provides not just published material but also courses, podcasts,
webcasts and other events and services to support small and medium-
sized businesses in the UK. Its website provides access to a range of
digitized material and receives 67 million hits each year.
The British Library clearly operates at many levels. 'At the core it
represents the collective memory of the nation by retaining for posterity
the intellectual output of British publishing' (British Library, n.d.).
Legal deposit is the legislation that requires publishers and distributors
in the UK and the Republic of Ireland to send one copy of each of their
publications to the Legal Deposit Office of the British Library within
one month of publication. The British Library adds to this core
collection by purchasing research-level material from around the world.
