British Library Collections Trust
About This Funder
The British Library Collections Trust is an independent UK charity (number 1180073) established to safeguard and enrich the nation's intellectual heritage by providing targeted support to the British Library. Its mission aligns closely with the Library's goals of building, curating, and preserving the national collection of published, written, and digital content, ensuring public access, research, education, and engagement. Guided by values of stewardship, excellence, impartiality, inclusivity, and public benefit, the Trust prioritizes long-term conservation and accessibility of culturally significant materials spanning centuries, cultures, and subjects, with a distinctive focus on strategic acquisitions of archives, manuscripts, and endangered items like Elizabeth Barrett Browning letters, John Galsworthy's archive, and Jane Austen's correspondence.
It funds acquisitions, conservation, digitisation, and dissemination projects that enhance the British Library's collections, benefiting scholars, students, educators, writers, and the wider public through exhibitions, outreach, and online access. Thematic priorities include literary and documentary heritage, primary sources of national/international significance, sound recordings, and urgent preservation needs, fostering innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural understanding across UK regions via London and Yorkshire sites.
Unsolicited applications are not accepted; funding is exclusively for British Library-identified projects, selected by trustees in consultation with Library experts on a rolling basis without deadlines or public processes. Eligible entities are limited to the British Library itself—no external charities, groups, or income/size requirements apply. Recent grants approximate £145,000 for major initiatives, varying by strategic needs. Distinctively, it avoids core costs, unrestricted support, or general capacity-building, emphasizing unique, high-impact opportunities in national heritage stewardship that no other funder matches in depth or exclusivity.
Frequently Asked Questions about British Library Collections Trust
How much funding does British Library Collections Trust provide?
Grant amounts vary. Contact British Library Collections Trust directly for current funding levels.
Is British Library Collections Trust accepting applications?
British Library Collections Trust is currently existing partners only. Check their website for updates.
Where does British Library Collections Trust fund charities?
British Library Collections Trust funds charities operating in UK.
How do I apply for funding from British Library Collections Trust?
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