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

Currently unavailable material and resources

The accessibility of our Sound and Vision collection has been impacted following a cyber-attack. As a result, our Sounds website is no longer in operation, and we do not have a timeline for its return.

Unfortunately, some of our material remains unavailable. We cannot give access to:

  • any moving image (video-based) material in our collection, including DVDs and VHS recordings (please contact the BFI Archive for all film and television requests)
  • fragile formats for physical handling, including wax cylinders, lacquer and shellac discs (these recordings may be available for listening only, pending conservation review)
  • some of our born-digital collections (including shelfmarks beginning with CEAP and DD)  
  • broadcast news and national radio material (shelfmarks beginning with BNR, BNT, and NRA)  
  • videoserver and soundserver
  • Unlocking Our Sound Heritage hub recordings (shelfmarks beginning with U)

The following subscribed 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.