News media

The British Library is home to the UK’s news collections

You'll find British and overseas newspapers dating back to the 1600s and we have have growing collections of radio, television and web news.

Collection highlights

News media collections

British Newspaper Archive

Over 7.5 million searchable pages, from more than 200 newspaper titles from UK and Ireland

Mercuricus Civicus Londons Intelligencer 25 May 1643

Thomason Tracts

A key source for the English Civil War in the mid-17th century

Burney Collection

Largest single collection of 17th- and 18th-century English newspapers available

Catalogues

Main Catalogue

Search, view and order from 57 million records, or search our website

Collection guides

Television and radio news

The Broadcast News service provides onsite access to recent television and radio news programmes

Newspapers

Newspapers published in the UK and Republic of Ireland, and many from elsewhere: over 34,000 titles, 60 million issues

More collection guides

Newsroom

The Newsroom opens on Mon 7 April. It is a new dedicated space in our St Pancras (London) building for newspapers, broadcast and web news. You can access microfilm and digital newspapers, with reference sources and expert help. The print newspapers will not be available until Autumn 2014.

You’ll need a Reader Pass to use it

Mon 10.00 – 20.00
Tue - Thu 09.30 – 20.00
Fri – Sat 09.30 – 17.00
Sun & English Public Holidays Closed

Opening hours

The Reading Room in Boston Spa is being refurbished

Featured

News media projects

Bound volumes of newspapers at the Newspaper Library Colindale

Newspaper moves

The Newspaper Moves Programme safeguards the long-term future of the national newspaper collection

Case studies

Alex Hall

Using newspapers in research: Alex Hall, PhD student

Blog posts

Opening day

08 April 2014

On Monday 7 April 2014, at 10:00, the Newsroom opened at the British Library. We were just about ready. I don't know what it is about we humans, but with all the months, indeed years, of planning that went into...

St Pancras Intelligencer no. 12

04 April 2014

Welcome to the latest edition of the St Pancras Intelligencer, our weekly round-up of news about news - stories about news production, publications, apps, digitised resources, events and what is happening with the newspaper collection (and other news collections) at...

Taming the news beast

02 April 2014

Taming the News Beast was the striking title of a seminar held on April 1st by ISKO UK, the British branch of the International Society for Knowledge Organization. Subtitled "finding context and value is text and data" its aim was...

St Pancras Intelligencer no. 11

28 March 2014

Welcome to the latest edition of the St Pancras Intelligencer, our weekly round-up of news about news - stories about news production, publications, apps, digitised resources, events and what is happening with the newspaper collection (and other news collections) at...

The Newsroom Blog