*Please note, it is an opportunity being advertised by an external institution to the university.

Booking is open for the British Library’s 2026/27 programme of Doctoral Open Days. 

The series offers current and prospective research students and other researchers new to our collections an introduction to the practicalities of using the Library and help in navigating our physical and digital collections. Although the days are pitched at doctoral researchers, any researcher who would find this kind of introduction useful is welcome. 

The series begins with a webinar to introduce attendees to the British Library, show them how to access our collections and share details of our other researcher development opportunities, including our PhD Placement Scheme and fellowship opportunities. This is complemented by in-person Open Days at our St Pancras site, each focusing on a specific area of our collection. Find out more about the full series below or on our website: https://events.bl.uk/whats-on/doctoral-open-days.  

 Webinar: Getting Started with the British Library for Postgraduate Researchers 

Thursday 29 October 2026 

What is the British Library? What’s in the collection? How can I find what I need? What development opportunities are available?  

Join us online for an introduction to the British Library for prospective and current PhD researchers of all disciplines looking to engage with our collections. This event may also be useful for Higher Education staff who support postgraduate research.  

Find out more and register: https://events.bl.uk/events/online-getting-started-at-the-british-library.  

  In-person Doctoral Open Days 

Join one of our in-person Open Days for a more focused look at our collections. Meet reference specialists, curators and our Research Development team to find out everything you need to know about our collections, how to best make use of them and the opportunities available to researchers. Browse the full series: https://events.bl.uk/whats-on/doctoral-open-days. 

• Friday 6 November 2026 – Music, Sound and Vision
• Friday 22 January 2027 – British and European Collections: Antiquity to 1800 
• Friday 26 February 2027 – Asian and African Collections 
• Friday 19 March 2027 – Modern Collections: 1800-1950
• Friday 23 April 2027 – Europe, Americas and Oceania 
• Friday 21 May 2027 – Contemporary and Digital Collections 

Please direct any questions to pgr@bl.uk.