British Library Act 1972

3 Transfer of British Museum Library. U.K.

(1) Subject to this section, all articles which immediately before the appointed day were the property of the trustees of the British Museum and—

(a) formed part of the collections in the Museum’s Department of Printed Books, Department of Manuscripts and Department of Oriental Printed Books and Manuscripts, or

(b) were in normal use in those Departments for the purposes of the collections, or of their storage or management, or for the purposes of the administration of the Departments,

shall on that day cease to be property of the trustees and become property of the British Library Board.

(2) In this Act “the appointed day” means a day appointed by the Secretary of State by order made by statutory instrument.

(3) Subsection (1) above shall not apply to any article in the case of which it has been agreed in writing between the trustees and the Board that it shall not become the property of the Board under this section.

(4) Without prejudice to subsection (1) above, the trustees may transfer to the Board any article from their collections in the case of which the Board have indicated to the trustees that the article is required for the British Library; and the power of the trustees under this section to transfer any article shall be exercisable notwithstanding any trust or condition (whether express or implied) prohibiting or restricting the disposal of the article, and also notwithstanding anything in the M1 British Museum Act 1963.

[F1 This subsection does not apply to pictures (as to which there is a power of transfer in section 9 of the British Musem Act 1963).]

(5) Any property transferred to the Board under this section shall, if it was previously vested in the trustees subject to any trust or condition, be subject to the same trust or condition in the hands of the Board.

(6) The trustees may make any part of their premises available for the use of the Board, and may arrange for services to be rendered to the Board by British Museum staff, on such terms (including terms as to payment) as may be agreed with the Board.

Subordinate Legislation Made

P1 S. 3(2): Power of appointment conferred by s. 3(2) fully exercised: 1.7.1973 appointed by S.I. 1973/1125, art. 2

Textual Amendments

F1 Words inserted by National Heritage Act 1983 (c. 47, SIF 78), s. 40, Sch. 5 para. 7

Marginal Citations

M1 1963 c. 24.