Friends of the British Library
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| Abbreviation | FBL |
|---|---|
| Formation | 1989 |
| Type | Charity |
| Purpose | Supports the British Library with grants for acquisitions, exhibitions, new equipment, facilities, and other activities. |
| Location |
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Region served
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Britain |
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Membership
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Approx. 3,000 |
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Staff
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1 |
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Volunteers
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Approx. 30 |
| Website | http://support.bl.uk/Page/Become-a-friend |
| Remarks | Current President: Lord Salisbury Chairman: Ferdinand Mount |
The Friends of the British Library is a registered charitable organisation in the UK with close links to the British Library. It provides funding in the form of grants to the British Library in order to allow the Library to acquire new items and collections, procure new equipment and facilities, and produce exhibitions.
The inaugural meeting of the Friends was held on 12 January 1989 with the objective of "the education of the public by promotion, support, assistance and improvement of the British Library through the activities of a group of Friends". It operates under a written constitution as an unincorporated association and registered charity.
The Friends first President was Lord Eccles, a man heavily involved in the original creation of the British Library via the British Library Act (1972) as well as being the British Library's first Chairman. He would be President of the Friends from its creation in 1989 until his death in 1999. The first Chairman of the Friends of the British Library was Christopher Henry Beaumont Pease, 2nd Baron Wardington. He became a Vice President in 1994, and President in 1999 – a post he held until his death in 2005.
The hierarchy of the Friends include a President, several Vice Presidents, a Chairman and deputy, and a council of members. The council members are trustees of the charity for the purposes of charity law.
Officers and members of the council are elected as required by the Constitution of the membership at each year's Annual General Meeting. The current President of the Friends is Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 7th Marquess of Salisbury and the Vice Presidents consist of Lord Bragg of Wigton, Frank Field MP, William Hague MP, Lord Hameed, Lord Jones of Birmingham, Sir Geoffrey Leigh, Penelope Lively, Sir Andrew Motion, Cdr Michael Saunders Watson and Lord Steel of Aikwood. The Chairman of the Friends is Ferdinand Mount, and Deputy Chairman is Christopher Wright.
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