British Library Recovers Online Services Post Cyberattack

The British Library's main catalogue, with over 36 million records, has returned online in a "read-only" format following a cyber attack last year. The restoration of services will be gradual, with the library's chief executive emphasizing that paying a ransom to hackers is not an option. While the main catalogue is now available and searchable, accessing and ordering items for use in reading rooms will be different. The library's unique material, including archives and manuscripts, is also accessible, but offline versions of specialist catalogues must be consulted in person. The full recovery of digital services is expected to follow, with the cost of rebuilding speculated to be around £7m.