Self Service Photography

Due to a cyber-attack, our ability to provide copying services in the British Library’s Reading Rooms is currently limited. Unfortunately, digital scanners for books and microfilm, as well as printing from our electronic resources, are unavailable at this time. We are working hard to restore these services in 2025.

If you are using our Reading Rooms, you may take photographs of certain materials yourself using a compact camera, tablet, or mobile phone, free of charge.

However, please note that not all items are available for photography, and restrictions apply due to the Library’s Preservation policy and copyright and data protection laws. Photographs must only be used for personal reference purposes and not for commercial use.

General guidelines

• You may use a compact camera, tablet, or smartphone for photography. However, tripods, additional camera lenses, and handheld scanners are not permitted
• Please turn off your camera flash and ensure that any audible sounds or alerts on your device are disabled
• To minimise disruption to others, please sit down while using or photographing items in the collection. If you need to stand, you may be asked to use a designated area within the Reading Room
• Some categories of material may only be photographed at designated desks within the Reading Rooms. Our staff will provide guidance if this is this applies to your materials
• Please handle all collection items with care as any use can contribute to wear and tear over time
• Book supports and weights are available in the Reading Room to assist with positioning items for photography, if needed
• Please do not manipulate or distort collection items to achieve a better image
• Photography of individuals or collection items being used by others is not permitted
• We also do not allow any audio or video recording

Preservation policy and restrictions

Some material is excluded from self-service photography. This includes:

• Items that have not yet been assessed as appropriate for photography
• Restricted or special access material
• Items where their format, size or condition means they are at risk of damage
• Items that are clearly marked ‘no copying’
• Items where there may be data protection, privacy or third party rights issues.

Please contact our Reference Services for advise.

Handling the collection

Handle all collection items with care as all use increases wear and tear.

• Hold your device firmly with both hands to avoid dropping it on the collection items. If your device has a hand or neck strap please use it.
• Where suitable, please use book supports and weights
• Please don’t push down on the volumes to get a better image.
• Be mindful of anything that may dangle or catch on to the collection item, such as jewellery or clothing.

 If you require assistance, please speak to a member of staff.

Most works are protected by the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or applicable international legislation. Under these laws copyright protection for most literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works generally lasts for 70 years from the end of the year in which the creator died.

Readers wanting to take photographs of some Western Manuscript items may need further copyright advice, please see the Western Manuscripts guide.

Breaching copyright, data protection, privacy, or other laws, is an offence and you are legally responsible for any copies you make or have made on your behalf by members of Library staff. 

If you are intending to copy material, then you may only do so in a manner permitted by law. In practice this means you can copy material where:

• It has entered the public domain.
• You have obtained a licence or permission from the rights holder to do so. 
• You rely on one or more of the exceptions to copyright which exist in law. 

When it comes to exceptions to copyright, these may permit you to make partial copies of an in-copyright work even in the absence of permissions or a licence from a rights holder in certain circumstances. Among the more commonly used exceptions are those relating to:

• Research and Private Study.
• Quotation, Criticism, Review or News Reporting. 

For an exception to apply, you will generally need to ensure that:

• You provide a sufficient acknowledgement of the source unless this is impossible for reasons of practicality or otherwise.
• Your use of the material is "fair".
• You copy no more of the material than is strictly necessary for your purpose.

The amount of material you may produce under an exception to copyright should be restricted to a "Fair Dealing" amount. What this looks like in practice isn't defined in law and should be considered on a case by case basis but you may find it helpful to consider following questions:

• Am I taking any more of the material than I really need to?
• Would my use of the copied material harm the economic interests of the rights holder?

It will be your responsibility to assess whether the amount of material you wish to copy is "fair".

For more details on exceptions to copyright, please refer to the website of the Intellectual Property Office.

Finally, any copying you undertake should be strictly for non-commercial use. If the copy is needed for a commercial purpose then, in addition seeking permission from the rights holder where required, you will also need to obtain permission from the British Library to do so. This can be sought from permissions@bl.uk and the requirement applies even where the material is in the public domain.

Further information on topics like the duration of copyright protections, available exceptions, along with details on how much can be copied and what uses are considered ‘fair’, can be found on the UK Intellectual Property Office website. You can also contact copyright@bl.uk for advice. 

If the material you wish to copy is not suitable for self-photography, library staff may be able to advise you on whether another edition of the book is available, or if it has been previously microfilmed.