British Caving Library

British Caving Library
British Caving Library
Administered by the
British Cave Research Association
.
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ome
C
atalogue
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inks
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udio archive
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egistry
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ews
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for any further notices about the operation of the library.
Welcome to the British Caving Library
The British Caving Library (BCL) is a national research and
reference library based in the Peak District, staffed by a Senior Library Assistant. It is funded
by the
British Caving Association
(BCA) and the
British Cave Research Association
(BCRA) and run by the
BCRA
on behalf of all cavers.
The
BCL
is your library, if you have
an interest in caving, cave science and related areas. It is for you whether you are a member of
BCA
or just a member of the
public with a general interest in caves and caving. It is for you whether you are based in the UK
or abroad.
Services and materials include
22002 catalogued items including 1460 books and 18710 journals, maps, surveys, DVDs etc.
522 non-UK journal titles including
Spelunca
,
Speleologia
,
Jaskinie
, and
Helictite
.
441 UK journal titles and club bulletins including all
CRG
/
BCRA
publications and complete runs of The British Caver and Descent.
We participate in a
journal exchange scheme
with many foreign and UK organisations
Photocopying and computer facilities
Maintenance of an
audio archive
, a
registry
of UK caving collections, and the
BCRA
online archive
.
Enquiries are welcomed via phone, email or personal visit.
Simple enquiries or requests for specific articles can be emailed
direct to the librarian. However, if you have a complex, general or vague literature request, it
would help us if you would download and complete the
literature search form
.
This will allow us to respond to your request more effectively.
Library location
The library is based in Glutton Bridge, near Buxton in Derbyshire.
Note that the library is not permanently staffed, so it is important to contact us in advance of
your visit (preferably by email) to ensure we're there to welcome you. Details of the location and
how to find us can be obtained
here
.
Charges
This facility is paid for by members of the
BCA
. Members may have up to
20 photocopies per request for free, with additional pages being charged at 10p per sheet. Postage
will normally be free, although the librarian may need to make a charge for bulkier packets.
Scanned images may also be emailed, saving postage costs.
Non-members may browse and use the facilities for free by prior
arrangement with the librarian, and one hour of the librarian's time is available at no charge.
Additional time will be charged at £15 per hour. Photocopying and printouts will be charged
at 10p a sheet for black and white A4 sheets, and 50p for colour A4 sheets. The librarian can
advise on costs before undertaking any work, so please contact her before submitting your
request.
Currently available on the site
Catalogue and bibliographic data
Links to other libraries and archives
Glutton Bridge library information
Caving Audio Archive
Latest developments
Registry of UK caving collections
BCRA online archives
Librarian news
Latest News - updated: 11 Feb 2026
"New Journals Februray 2026"
Visit our Facebook page!
Librarian contact details
The Librarian
British Caving Library
The Studio
Glutton Bridge
Buxton
SK17 0EN
Phone: 01298 83382
Email:
bcra-librarian@bcra.org.uk
(
Click
for the librarian's vCard)
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Page last updated: Thursday 14 August 2025
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Luka Cvrk
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