The British Library Research Repository is an open access repository for the research produced by staff and research associates (including PhD placement or Collaborative Doctoral Partnership students) of the British Library.

Research informs and supports almost every aspect of our work, be it curation, conservation, preservation, resource discovery, digital innovation, cultural programming or learning. Whether it’s a major exhibition or a new way to discover or understand a unique part of our collections, it has been enabled by staff research. The outputs of that research have important value for future researchers and we want to make them discoverable and accessible for everybody.

You can find out more about opportunities for collaboration and ongoing research projects at the British Library website.

1. Provide a reliable source of information about research undertaken by British Library staff, individually or in collaboration with other research organisations.

2. Provide a single point of open access to our full-text research outputs wherever possible.

3. Make our research easier to find, and enhance the contribution we make to UK and international research.

4. Respond to the open access expectations of our research funders.

The repository houses material such as journal articles, video, conference papers, books and book chapters, reports, datasets, images, exhibition text and blog posts. Where the full item cannot be added, metadata about the research output is provided together with a link to the full item where available.

Material not produced by, or in association with, British Library staff is not eligible for inclusion, except for in the General Purpose Repository (see below).

The British Library repository is part of a Shared Repository Service, encompassing the research outputs of a number of UK cultural and heritage institutions.

It is the first UK open access repository partnership for the cultural heritage sector, and its importance to the community through the creation of innovative and necessary infrastructure was recognised through a series of grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) between 2021-2027. This consortial approach means the Service is community-driven and provides partners with a service that suits the unique needs of our sector.

The majority of these institutions are Independent Research Organisations (IROs), who are eligible to apply for funding from government bodies. Many partners in the Shared Repository Service are members of the IRO Consortium (IROC), a network of museums, libraries, galleries and archives that all produce research as part of their daily work. Our research informs professional practice nationally and globally and broadens our subject awareness for all.

Our separate repositories can be visited individually, or explored together via a single search through the collaborative Shared Repository Service homepage.

The Shared Repository Service is open to new partners from 2027. If your organisation is interested in hearing more about the benefits of membership, please email openaccess@bl.uk.

The General Purpose Repository is a collection maintained by the British Library for smaller organisations (non-IROs) that produce research but currently have no means to permanently make this available online.

This is currently a pilot project and we welcome expressions of interest in helping the British Library shape this important service for institutions that may otherwise struggle to share their outputs openly, for the long term.

Eligible organisations include UK county and city libraries, museum and archive services, UK learned societies and other organisations in the cultural heritage sector.

If you have research outputs that you think may be suitable for the General Purpose Repository, please email: openaccess@bl.uk to discuss this further.

The General Purpose Repository is not intended for outputs by independent researchers unless they are affiliated with one of these eligible organisations.

The Shared Repository Service has been managed by the British Library since 2018. Since 2026, the platform uses DSpace software and is hosted and developed by 4Science.

For all enquiries or take down requests, please email openaccess@bl.uk.