Memoirs of a British Library reader
Update 13th Jan
The Financial Times (6th January) has reported that it will cost the British Library £6-7m to recover from the cyberattack in late October, around 40% of its reserves. The process will take around a year which is very concerning for the wide range of researchers, academic, private and business, that rely on it.
Is the Tory Department of Media, Culture and Sport concerned about the impact on an important part of British life? Of course not. Is Labour by contrast pressing for action? Of course not,but a campaign is at last growing on this-see below
I’ve had a readers ticket at the British Library since 1984 and still use it regularly.
Back in 1984 it was in the historic Round Reading Room in the British Museum, where both Marx and Lenin had studied in rather earlier days.
In those days catalogues were in bound paper volumes and one applied on a paper slip. In those days too you might find that your request came back with the box marked ‘destroyed by bombing during the war’ ticked.
The location was convenient because the British Museum has a back as well as a front entrance. Go out the back, cross the road and you are at Senate House the HQ of the University of London which also houses the Institute of Historical Research.
I am a research historian (amongst a few other things) and have convened the socialist history seminar at the IHR since 1995.
The British Library is important for my own research (nineteenth century labour history) but also keeping an eye on new research for seminar purposes.
In more recent times the BL has moved to its own site on Euston Rd. Things are now done electronically including the catalogue and ordering via the website and of course some material is digitised (though often only freely available at the BL itself).
As some will be aware in late October the Library’s systems were hacked and access to many Library services knocked out. The attack might well be seen as one on freely available knowledge but generally its ransomware criminals after money.
As usual with such events recovery is taking and will take ages. Wi-fi has been restored and the Library has promised a reference only electronic catalogue will be available in mid-January. That will still mean ordering books, probably on a paper slip just like the good old days, and on site.
Fortunately the Library does have a complete run of the print edition of the New Musical Express on open access for readers. My project on the NME Fletters is on-going.
It’s frustrating for many who rely on the BL for research,where it may have the only copy of some texts. Such attacks do take a long time to sort out, and it should give pause for thought for those who think everything should just be digitised.
What is interesting is the lack of discussion about the lack of availability of the BL for many purposes. A reflection perhaps of the poverty of British culture in the 2020s, certainly at political levels.
Pressure is at last growing for the Government which bangs on culture war style about British culture and history to step in, fund and expedite a recovery of the Library. The Evening Standard piece here provides good summary:
In the meantime solidarity with BL staff, Prospect and PCS members, who will be working in very difficult circumstances.
I remember requesting books which were then described as “destroyed by enemy action.” I envisaged enemy agents using the old Reading Room, requesting books in the usual way, and then defacing them destructively, one book at a time.