British Film Institute National Library

I visited the British Film Institute National library back in May to learn about using their collections.

The resources available in the Reading Room include: books, periodicals, databases and newspaper cutting files; pressbooks and unpublished scripts; film festival catalogues dating back to the 1930s; and audio material, including interviews with film makers.

It is not free to use (even for BFI members), so take a look at the membership fees before you visit the library, which is just off the Tottenham Court Road.  Also, take a look at their catalogue before you visit and look at some of the special collections – there are over 600.

My advice is that to get the most out of the collection, you should make full use of the staff there.  They are experienced in helping students, researchers, journalists and cineastes of all descriptions.

There are plenty of other BFI resources available online too, and because they can be a little hard to locate online, I have provided some links here:

BFI National Library
     BFI Film and TV Database
     BFI Researchers' Guide
     BFI Resource Guides (16+ Source Guides)
BFI Live (video channel, with interviews and rare footage)
BFI National Archives
     Research Viewing Service
     Screen Online
     BFI YouTube Channel
     BFI InView (British history through the lens)
Sight and Sound Archive


Related posts

Screen online - video clips and full length films