Catalogues and Collections
Catalogues
Open access material
Closed access material
Reserving, borrowing and photocopying material
Catalogues
The Official Publications collection is accessed in a number of ways.
- Since 1999 the more important works have been catalogued on the Newton online catalogue.
- The catalogue for pre-1999 material is a subject-catalogue on cards. It is in three sections:
- the United Kingdom;
- foreign and Commonwealth countries (except India, Pakistan and Bangladesh) and intergovernmental organisations,
- India, Pakistan and Bangladesh.
- The Blue Books (British Parliamentary Papers) have their own set of bound indexes standing next to the card catalogue.
- Indexes to House of Lords papers are available on request.
- We receive a wide range of ephemeral material. For details, please consult staff.
In addition, an ever-increasing volume of official material is available online. Follow our Electronic resources link for a range of useful sources together with guidance notes.
Readers who have difficulty with the catalogues are urged to consult Official Publications staff. We will be glad to help you locate the material you need.
Open access material
A small part of the collection is on open access in the Commonwealth Room. This part of the collection includes:
- a small reference collection (class OPR);
- Hansard (also available electronically at the UK Parliament website);
- Journals of the House of Lords and the House of Commons;
- Statutes of the Realm, together with the most recent consolidations supplemented by annual volumes to date;
- British and Foreign State Papers;
- certain publications of the Record Commissioners and the National Archive;
- British census reports from 1801 (material for the 1901 and 2001 censuses is also available electronically at the National Statistics Online website).
Closed access material
The rest of the collection is on closed access. Items from it must be requested
in the Commonwealth Room, by means
of order-slips. There is a special order-slip for Blue Books.
Items cannot be fetched between
12.45 and 14.00 or after 18.20 (12.30 on Saturdays).
Material formerly available on South Wing Floor 3 (classes OP1-OP99) has now been moved into closed storage. Please request this material in the Commonwealth Room.
Reserving, borrowing and photocopying material
Items fetched to the Commonwealth Room may be reserved for further use by means of reservation slips.
Most bound items in the collection other than Blue Books and volumes shelved in the Room are borrowable on application at the Enquiry Desk. Items must not otherwise be removed from the Room.
Photocopying facilities (both self-service and by request to staff) are available in the Room.