An external view of the Met Office building at night.

Our Policies

Who we are

The NMLA is part of the Met Office Public Weather Service (PWS).  We are managed by the Library and Archive Manager who reports directly to the Head of PWS.

The NMLA is required by the Public Weather Service Customer Group to enable the general public to research the UK's weather and climatology and to access information that helps the public to understand the science and history of meteorology. There is also a legal requirement handed down to the Public Weather Service from the Ministry of Justice (under the Lord Chancellor) to archive meteorological data on behalf of the UK Public in accordance with the Public Records Act 1958.

What we do

As a combined service which is open to the public our role can be summarised as "Preserving the Past, Informing the Future"

Our  Mission

''The National Meteorological Library and Archive seeks to preserve, in perpetuity, records relating to the national memory of the weather in both paper and also digital formats. It exists to collect, catalogue and preserve in accordance with national and international standards, and make publicly available documents, both physical and electronic, relating to the collection of meteorological data concerning the surface, marine and upper air environments of the British Isles and the wider world as created by the Meteorological Office and its antecedents. Our collections (both published and archival) enable the research community and the general public to learn about the UK's weather and climatology and to access information that helps them to understand the science and history of meteorology.''

Our Policies

NMLA Policies and Related Documents

Forward Plan

NMA Collection Management Policy

NML Collections Development and Management Policy

NMA Acquisitions Policy

NMA Collections Information Policy

NMA Collections Care and Conservation Policy

NMLA Access Statement

NMLA Outreach Policy

NMLA Volunteering Policy

NMLA Exhibition Loans Policy and Procedures

NMLA Historical Met Office Observation Data Policy