BRITISH FILM INSTITUTE: BFI NATIONAL LIBRARY

(photo courtesy of British Film Institute: BFI National Library)

Description

The BFI National Library provides access to the world’s largest collection of information on film and television. As a major national research collection, the main priority is to provide comprehensive coverage of British film and television, but the collection is international in scope. The Library collects books, pamphlets, periodicals and other printed materials, as well as published resources on microfilm and electronic media. The purpose of the collection is to provide a major resource to meet the widest range of information, research and study needs relating to all aspects of the moving image (film, television - regardless of delivery method - video, video games, interactive multimedia, virtual reality); as culture and as industry, as social indicator and influence.

Artefact description

The BFI National Library offers access to the world’s largest collection of information on film and television. Its holdings include over 59,000 books, 5,000 periodical titles and over two million newspaper cuttings.

Website

www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/library

Keywords

Cinema; Media studies; Television

Access

The BFI National Library’s collection is accessible to all Pass holders and annual members. Users need to buy daily, weekly or annual passes for the Reading Room, and annual passes for the Special Collections room. A charge is made for many of our information services. Opening Hours Monday 10:30 - 17:30 Tuesday 10:30 - 20:00 Wednesday 13:00 - 20:00 Thursday 10:30 - 20:00 Friday 10:30 - 17:30

Access for outsiders

Yes

Charges

Yes. Scale of charges leaflet available.

Copyright

BFI holds rights to BFI-published materials only.

Moving Image, Audio and Related Documentation Holdings

Books

c. 60,000

Datasets

500,000 title records; 750,000 personalities records; 1 million periodical references.

Journals

6,000 titles, of which 250 are currently received.

Manuscripts

See separate entry

Newspapers

2.1 million cuttings (estimate); reviews, obituaries, festivals, subjects, etc. Film and name cuttings held on microjacket (fiche).

Sound

1,500

Still Images

See separate entry for British Film Institute Special Collections.

Theses

Substantial holdings: not counted separately from books.

Video/Film

See entry for National Film and Television Archive.

Artefact and Related Documentation Holdings

Animation

The Library has a modest collection of Flick Books which are probably date from the 1950s’ and 1960s

Documents

The Library holds collections of some of the above, some in quite large numbers, especially in its Special Collections. (eg.25,000 unpublished scripts, 25,000 pressbooks); Contracts; Catalogues; Correspondence; Diaries, unpublished memoirs etc; Lobby cards; Equipment manuals; Scripts and treatments; Storyboards; Personal papers; Photographs; Promotional literature; Ephemera

Toys & Games

BFI National Archives holds some video and computer games but this would be long out of print games collected in the 1990s.; Video games, computer games

Catalogues

Computerised database

BFI Film and Television Database at http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/ftvdb/ BFI National Library Book Catalogue at http://www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/library/catalogue.html

Library OPAC

Yes. OLIB for books etc: Z39.50.

Related website

www.bfi.org.uk/filmtvinfo/library (Includes information about collections, and database of films for children.)

Card catalogue

Index to 19,000 unpublished scripts.

Digitised catalogue

Under consideration.

Additional Information

Artefact notes

AACR2 MARC

Main Contact

Name

Mr. David Sharp

Job title

Deputy Head (User Services)

Department

BFI National Library

Telephone

020 7957 4806

Fax

020 7436 2338

Email

david.sharp@bfi.org.uk

Address

British Film Institute
21 Stephen Street
London
W1T ILN

Alternate Contact

Telephone

020 7255 1444

Fax

020 7436 7950

Email

library@bfi.org.uk