The British Library is experiencing a major technology failure caused by a cyber-attack. Getty Images
The British Library is experiencing a major technology failure caused by a cyber-attack. Getty Images
The British Library is experiencing a major technology failure caused by a cyber-attack. Getty Images
The British Library is experiencing a major technology failure caused by a cyber-attack. Getty Images

British Library tech failure nine days after cyber-attack


Marwa Hassan
  • English
  • Arabic

The British Library is continuing to experience a major technology failure caused by a cyber-attack that occurred nine days ago.

The attack, on October 31, has led to widespread disruption of the library's online systems and services, including its website and certain on-site services such as Wi-Fi connectivity. The building remained open as usual.

A spokesperson for the British Library said that they are actively working with the National Cyber Security Centre and cyber security specialists to address the situation and to restore services as soon as possible.

However, the disruption is expected to last for several weeks.

What services are available

Despite the digital challenges, the British Library's buildings remain open to the public.

The Reading Rooms are open for personal study.

Access to collection items that were ordered into the Reading Rooms on or before October 28 is still possible.

A very limited manual ordering process for collection items is available in London using printed catalogues for items located in St Pancras.

Reader Registration is ongoing, with the issuance of temporary passes which may offer different levels of access for new or previous readers.

The library's cafes, restaurant and shops are operating normally, with the cafes and restaurant accepting card and cash payments. The shop and bookshop are currently accepting cash only, although card transactions can still be processed through the online shop.

Additionally, all scheduled public events are proceeding, including a scheduled exhibition “Fantasy: Realms of Imagination”. Tickets for this exhibition can be bought on-site with cash.

The Family Station and educational courses and events will continue as planned.

For business support, the Business and IP Centre at St Pancras is open, with services and events still available online and in-person at regional libraries throughout the UK.

While the investigation into the cyber-attack is ongoing, the British Library is not able to provide more detailed information at this time.

BUNDESLIGA FIXTURES

Friday (All UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Eintracht Frankfurt (11.30pm)

Saturday

Union Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen (6.30pm)

FA Augsburg v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Werder Bremen (6.30pm)

SC Paderborn v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Monchengladbach (9.30pm)

Sunday

Cologne v Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

Mainz v FC Schalke (9pm)

RIDE%20ON
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Larry%20Yang%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStars%3A%20Jackie%20Chan%2C%20Liu%20Haocun%2C%20Kevin%20Guo%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%202%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
UK%20record%20temperature
%3Cp%3E38.7C%20(101.7F)%20set%20in%20Cambridge%20in%202019%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Sole survivors
  • Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
  • George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
  • Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
  • Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Updated: November 09, 2023, 10:39 AM`