Skip to Main Content

Sound and vision

Access to our Sound and Vision collection is through the Listening and Viewing Service, which is in the Rare Books & Music Reading Room and is by advance appointment only

What material is unavailable?

Following a cyber-attack in October 2023 much of our sound and vision collection is unavailable. In particular we have been unable to restore the Sound and Moving Image catalogue and the British Library Sounds website. However, we are hoping to launch a public catalogue before the end of the year.   

We also can’t give access to:

  • any moving image material in our collection, including DVDs and VHS recordings

  • fragile formats, including wax cylinders, lacquer and shellac discs 

  • reel-to-reel tapes  

  • many of our born-digital collections.  

  • broadcast news  

  • videoserver  

  • sound server.

The following subscribed sound and vision electronic resources are unavailable at the moment: 

  • Drama Online 

  • TRILT

  • Theatre in Video and Dance in Video I & II  

  • National Theatre Collection  

  • Naxos Music Library  

  • Ethnographic Video Online I & II.

However, these resources may be available at other libraries and organisations.

Please contact the BFI Archive for film and television requests.