Digitisation for access: the digitisation of rare books at the British Library

The British Library's collections of books printed in English and in other western European languages from the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries are the greatest in the world, both in terms of the numbers of individual editions and in their range and scope. Early Printed Collections selects, acquires and catalogues books printed in English before 1915 and in Western European languages before 1851. We exercise a duty of care with respect to the collections and make them available in the Rare Books and Music Reading Room, where all books printed before 1851 (and other rare material) must be consulted. We provide an enquiry service for readers, scholars and researchers in the Reading Room and by mail, fax or email. We also aim to raise awareness of the significance of the collections and to promote a better understanding of their potential as a research resource. Early Printed Collections is developing a wide-ranging digitisation programme based on the Library's unrivalled collections of early printed books, newspapers, printed ephemera, posters, bindings, decorated papers and photographs. Their wide dissemination will transform access to the national collection and promote public understanding of its significance and use.