British Library and BBC Team Up to Integrate Access to Archives

The British Library and the BBC are to team up on a digital project designed to integrate access to nearly one million hours of BBC TV and radio content, and more than 150 million items from the BL.BBC Director General Mark Thomson and Lynne Brindley, head of the British Library, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding that will seek to develop ‘new ways of integrating access.' They will also work together on issues such as rights management, digitisation and storage. A joint steering committee will develop a uniform approach across the two institutions.Mark Thompson said it is "vital we partner, harnessing the power of digital technology to give the public the access they deserve." According to Brindley, the project aims to "create a model of best practice which will allow the library to develop similar opportunities with other public institutions." The partnership demonstrates that "we are keen to share content for the benefit of today's researchers and the knowledge economy", she added.The BBC has already made similar arrangements with the British Film Institute and the National Archives.