The British Library: the changing face of document supply

Purpose - The purpose of this article is to describe the response of the British Library to the changing environment for document supply. Design/methodology/approach - The paper provides a descriptive analysis of the response of the British Library to the changing environment for document supply. Findings - The British Library will shift from a high volume business focussed on current, heavily used material to a more mixed portfolio; one in which it services both demand for current, heavily used material but also and increasingly, "the long tail". Originality/value - The paper provides an insight into the current response of the largest document supplier in the world to the current, rapidly changing environment.