• About us
• Global Projects
• Search the Collection
• Subject Guides
• Browse by Country
• E - Library
• BLDS Updates
• Document Delivery

Home » About us

We are the largest collection of economic and social development materials in Europe. These unique holdings, built up over 40 years, consist of approximately one million items held in over four miles of shelving space. Over half the collection originates from developing countries.  Much of this is unavailable in other European or US libraries. We provide a number of services to remote users, enabling access to the collection and staff expertise.

BLDS is freely open for reference purposes to anyone wishing to use the resources in person.  It is also possible to take out paid membership, allowing borrowing.

BLDS closely supports teaching and research at the Institute of Development Studies.  Members of IDS, and staff and postgraduate students at University of Sussex are entitled to join the library for free.  

The BLDS collection forms the core for a number of Global Projects  funded by UK DfID, designed to raise the profile and accessibility of research published in developing countries. BLDS also works on DFiD funded projects relating to the demand for research information, specifically around information literacy in a Southern context.