What does your library mean to you?

And rebuilding our infrastructure ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ [View in browser]( For research, inspiration and enjoyment For research, inspiration and enjoyment What does your library mean to you? Libraries play an important part in all our lives. They not only provide access to books and resources, but also vital information, research and support for the communities they serve. They tell stories, untold or forgotten through time. They offer safe spaces to discover and connect. And for some libraries can be a lifeline. We know this more than ever following last year’s cyber-attack, having seen the devastating effect this has had on those who depend on us for research. While we continue with the immense task of rebuilding our technology infrastructure, there are still lots of ways to use us right now, along with libraries around the UK. [Ask the Reference Team]( Rebuilding our technology infrastructure We’re really grateful for the patience you’ve shown as we work to bring back the services you rely on. At the moment we’re continuing to rebuild our entire technology infrastructure. This is a huge undertaking, which will ultimately result in much improved and safer services for everyone. In the meantime, we’re still aiming to restore some of our digitised manuscripts and learning resources in time for the new academic year, and we’ll let you know more as soon as we can. You can still visit and access our collection, although things are a bit more manual than they used to be. You can get in touch with our librarians who can help you find what you need. [Ask a librarian]( [Medieval Women: In Their Own Words]( Medieval Women: In Their Own Words Opens 25 October, St Pancras Break free from traditional narratives and encounter personalities, both famous and forgotten, who tell the story of medieval womanhood, their artistry, resourcefulness, courage and struggles. Hear their words speak powerfully across the centuries in our upcoming major exhibition. [Book now]( [A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang]( A Silk Road Oasis: Life in Ancient Dunhuang Opens 27 September, St Pancras Take a rare glimpse into the lives of those who lived, travelled through and worked in this bustling town on the famous Silk Road as we showcase the remarkable contents of the Library Cave, sealed for nearly 900 years. Joint tickets are available to see this and our main exhibition Medieval Women: In Their Own Words. [Book now]( [(Re)connect with your community ]( (Re)connect with your community “These people gave me my life back". Sometimes a simple change in circumstances can mean we lose touch with people. When Ian found it difficult to leave the house, a reading group at Blaydon Library helped him connect with new friends. Discover your local library through [LibraryOn](, funded by Arts Council England and powered by the British Library. [Discover Ian's story]( [Find out more about our events ](mailto:communityengagement@bl.uk?subject=Find%20out%20more%20about%20our%20events) Bringing our collection to the stage If you’re visiting St Pancras on 9 August then stop by the Entrance Hall at 16.00 to experience a live theatre rehearsal. The mentoring charity Scene & Heard will be bringing together theatre professionals and young people from nearby Somers Town to create a play inspired by our collection. Come along and cheer on our local stars! If you’d like to find out more about our community events then drop our team a line. [Contact us](mailto:communityengagement@bl.uk?subject=Bringing%20our%20collection%20to%20the%20stage) [Don't miss Beyond the Bassline]( Closing soon: Beyond the Bassline ★★★★★ ‘a must-see for any music lover’ – Time Out Don’t miss the chance to catch Beyond the Bassline: 500 Years of Black British Music before it closes at St Pancras on 26 August. [Book now]( [Join a Tudor protest]( Join a Tudor protest Did you know that every Tudor monarch faced at least one rebellion against their throne? Discover the pressures and changes that drove Tudor people to rebel in a new immersive audio-visual display at our free Treasures Gallery in St Pancras. [Plan your visit]( [Visit our Leeds exhibition ]( Start a new journey Explore a new digital exhibition all about journeys, featuring items from our collection and courtesy of the Libraries in Leeds network. Consider the motives behind journeys and the art that they’ve inspired, plus see works developed through a special project we ran with young people in Leeds, in partnership with Leeds Children and Families Social Work Services. [Visit now]( [Pre-order The Camomile: An Invention]( Pre-order the latest book in our Women Writers series You can now pre-order the latest book in our Women Writers series by Catherine Carswell. Set in 1920s Glasgow, The Camomile: An Invention tells the story of Ellen, a young woman under pressure to choose between her passions for writing and music and society’s expectations of her as a prospective wife. Explore themes of love and determination in this novel about the aspiring female artist forging their identity in the creative realms. [Pre-order now]( [Donate today]( Support us As a charity, donations are vital in helping us share our collection with people of all ages, from all communities. A gift today will help us open up a world of ideas and inspiration for everyone. [Donate now]( [British Library Instagram]( [British Library Facebook]( [British Library Twitter]( [British Library YouTube]( [British Library LinkedIn]( [British Library TikTok]( [British Library Instagram]( [British Library Facebook]( [British Library Twitter]( [British Library YouTube]( [British Library LinkedIn]( [British Library TikTok]( © 2024 British Library. 96 Euston Road, London. NW1 2DB. [Privacy Policy]( [Visit us]( • [View our privacy policy]( • [Unsubscribe]( King Tubby 'House of Joy' Hi-Fi speakerboxes on loan from Lick It Back' © Terna Jogo