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Visiting the Library
The BFI National Library's unique and extensive collection of materials on film and television is available to all who wish to use it for research. Membership can be purchased in advance of your visit, or when you arrive at Stephen Street. The majority of items in our collections can be accessed on the day, but offsite materials need to be pre-ordered.
Opening Hours, contact and location
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10:30 - 17:30 | 10:30 - 17:30 | 13:00 - 20:00 | 10:30 - 20:00 | 10:30 - 17:30 |
| Retrieval of materials from the stacks operates according to staffing levels. | ||||
The Library is closed at weekends and all public holidays. Temporary changes to opening hours are posted on the library home page.
Access to Special Collections is by appointment, though unpublished scripts and pressbooks may be consulted during the library's normal opening hours.
Access
The library is committed to ensuring that all members can make full use of our services and facilities. If you wish, please call us to discuss your access needs before you visit the library. This will help us ensure that you get the best out of your visit.
- Wheelchair access is standard, with floors level from street to Reading Room, and with special toilet facilities immediately adjacent to the Reading Room.
- The library counter is fitted with an induction loop system.
- Some computer terminals are low level, and designed for seated users.
- We have a range of assistive technology for users whose sight is impaired. These include magnifiers of varying strengths.
- If any member is unable to make copies of material they need, staff on duty will be willing to make those copies on behalf of the member, or arrange to do so. Normal copying legislation, charges and conditions will apply.
Membership
All passes, with the exception of Institutional passes, can be purchased in person from Stephen Street Reception on the day of your visit. Membership need not be obtained by helpers accompanying a library member.
- Day Pass : £5
- Weekly Pass : £15 Valid for 5 consecutive working days
- Annual Pass : £35 buy online
BFI Members and Supporters save £5 - Discounted Annual Pass : £25 buy online
BFI Members and Supporters save £5
Available to students, seniors, disabled and unwaged with proof of status - Institutional Annual Pass : £50
Available to bona fide educational and cultural organisations, for use by their students and/or employees, and valid for use by one person at a time.
Contact: BFI Membership, BFI Southbank, Freepost SE8223, London SE1 8YY.
Group Visits
The BFI National Library holds the world's largest collection of written materials about film and television. The collection includes books, periodicals, press cuttings, festival materials, annual reports, published scripts, press materials and audio interviews that span the history of the moving image. Some visual content can also be accessed via the BFI's Mediatheque, Screenonline, and InView platforms.
We welcome applications for study visits from schools, colleges, and other groups. We do try to accommodate as many groups as we can, but due to space restrictions, this is not always possible.
Accessing the collections, Requesting Materials
Before coming in to the Library we ask that you observe the following:
- Passes must be shown to Security staff on Reception.
- Bags, food, and drink (including water) must be left in lockers.
- We ask that mobile phones are switched off, or at the very least switched to silent during your visit.
Due to the limited amount of space in the Reading Room, the majority of our collections are on closed access and must be requested. This means that, with the exception of the books and periodicals located in the Reading Room, you will not be able to browse the shelves or retrieve the materials yourself.
- As you register, ask staff at the counter for an introduction to the library, its collections and resources.
- Search our databases (Library catalogue for books, BID for periodicals, Idealist for Special Collections) to discover what materials we hold and how to access them.
- Request items not held on open access in the Reading Room by filling in the appropriate request slips - limited to three items at a time - and handing them to a member of staff.
- Please note that digital photography (camera or mobile phone) is only permitted on completion of a copyright declaration form. The use of scanners is currently not permitted.
On average, it takes between 10-45 minutes for materials to be retrieved however, when very busy, it can take up to one hour.
Requesting material in advance
Materials held in our stack or off-site can be requested in advance of your visit to the Reading Room by using the Requests email. Please bear in mind the following guidelines:
- Annual members may request up to 5 items from our stacks. If we have received your email by 5pm we shall endeavour to have your items waiting for you from 10.30am (1pm on Wednesdays) on the day of your visit, whether it be the following day or not.
- Berkhamsted Paperstore items must be requested at least 3 working days in advance.
- We reserve the right to issue your requested materials to other researchers in your absence.
Making copies in the BFI National Library
Policy and copyright
Much of the collection of the BFI National Library can be copied. However this must be within existing legal requirements.
As advised by CILIP (Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals) the key requirement is that only a single copy is made of any item for the purposes of private study or non-paid research.
The legal copying limits are:
- journal or periodical: one article from any one issue;
- published work: one chapter or 5% of extracts.
Due to the delicate nature of some material held and their bindings, some of the collection is not available for copying and these are usually clearly marked. Likewise, some unpublished materials, e.g. theses, are not available for copying as permission has not been granted by the author.
If you are unsure about what you may or may not copy, please ask a member of library staff for guidance.
Where copying from web pages the same criteria as those stated above apply; however please respect any additional copyright notices and any copyright statements attached to individual works.
Contractual copyright conditions may also apply to material available via subscription databases.
Please consult a member of library staff for further information relating to specific items when you visit.
Equipment and costs
The library reading room has three photocopying machines, able to make black and white A4 and A3 copies only.
The library also has a number of microfiche and roll film readers suitable for accessing the collection of cuttings and publicity information, and for publications and periodicals held on microfiche and roll film.
Copying charges:
- £1 for 8 units
- £5 for 40 units.
There is no extra charge for A3 copies.
Printing from microfiche and roll film readers will be charged at two units per copy.
Where copying from machines other than the dedicated copiers, an honesty box is provided for donations.
