The British Library of Political and Economic Science: Reference services

BLPES was founded by the Webbs in 1896 to be, in the words of the initial appeal for funds, ‘a new laboratory of social research’. Though entirely dependent for finance on LSE, which is its sole trustee, it remains a separate legal entity, and gives a high priority to its services to the world of scholarship generally. In the five months ending 29th February 1972, for instance, permits were given to 1,205 non‐members of the School wishing to use the Library for sustained research, and a further 1,434 day tickets were issued. In the year ending 31st July 1971, 2,574 volumes were lent to other libraries, and 2,295 other requests were fulfilled by the provision of photocopies.