Heritage Services

History - Information - Research

RNIB Heritage Services provides a wealth of information about blindness and sight loss. Whether you want to learn about a particular eye condition, delve into RNIB's history or support your professional studies - we can help.

Materials include: books, journals, research reports, annual reviews, early embossed manuscripts, artefacts, photographs and e-material.


RNIB Heritage Services comprises:

  • RNIB Research Library - Europe's largest, most comprehensive and diverse collection of print and electronic materials about partial sight and blindness.

  • RNIB Archive - a unique and valuable collection of historically important material relating to the history of blind people and the organisations working with them including RNIB and many local societies. Discover examples of our collection in from the vaults.

We welcome enquiries by phone, email, letter or in person. Contact details and opening hours

Our expert staff can search our collections on your behalf or you can browse our online catalogue


Did you know that ...

  • RNIB gained its Royal Charter in 1948?
  • Queen Victoria was the first patron of the British and Foreign Blind Association?

Books and information for blind and partially sighted people
There are lots of ways for people with sight loss to continue reading - find out about RNIB's reading services and other sources of help.

Last updated: 15 May 2013

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Right now we can only reach one in three of the people who need our help most.

Please make a donation and help us support more blind and partially sighted people.