The British Library is seeking 15 secondary English teachers to take part in a user consultation study for its Discovering Literature digital resource during summer 2026.
Discovering Literature is a free digital resource that explores more than 1,000 years of literary history through manuscript and printed sources, vivid articles and films. The site is designed to enrich the study and enjoyment of set texts for teachers, students and lifelong learners.
Background
In October 2023, the British Library experienced a major cyber-attack, which rendered its web estate, including its Digital Learning resources, temporarily inaccessible. While the Library’s Marketing team leads on the redesign and restoration of its interpretive content, the Learning team will use this consultation study to gather feedback from teachers to help shape the future development of the site and ensure it continues to meet the needs of teachers and students.
What will the consultation explore?
The study aims to better understand:
- The key challenges faced by English teachers in the classroom
- The types of resources teachers and students currently use, or would like to access
- How articles, primary sources, films, teachers’ notes and other content can best support the study and enjoyment of literature
What’s involved?
Selected participants will take part in a one-hour online discussion at a mutually convenient after-school time.
As a thank you for their time, participants will receive £25 in book tokens.
Who can take part?
The British Library would like to hear from teachers currently teaching:
- GCSE English
- A Level English
How to register your interest
If you are interested in taking part, please email discovering.literature@bl.uk and include:
- Your name
- The school or college where you teach
- The year groups you teach
- Whether you have used Discovering Literature before
About Discovering Literature
Discovering Literature covers medieval, Renaissance, Restoration, Romantic, Victorian, twentieth-century and contemporary literature. The resource provides access to manuscripts and rare materials from writers including Shakespeare, Dickens, the Brontës, Virginia Woolf, Angela Carter, Hanif Kureishi and Andrea Levy.
Encompassing modules on medieval, Renaissance, Restoration, Romantic, Victorian, 20th- and 21st-century literature, Discovering Literature brings set texts to life through original sources and expert interpretation. The site also features over 1,000 expert articles, literary-location films and teachers’ notes designed to support teaching and learning.
The consultation forms part of the British Library’s ongoing work to restore and develop its digital learning resources following the cyber-attack that affected its online services in 2023.
Featured image: iStock/Purplexsu