Digital Library and Archive

Over the last few years the NMLA have been working towards a new archiving capability that provides a safe and secure repository for our digital library and archive content. Digital preservation lies at the heart of this archive which means we are able to protect and preserve our digital content for the long-term just as we have been doing with our paper records for so many years. The solution addresses the important need for digital preservation as well as offering direct access to our customers.

The Met Office Digital Library and Archive provides access to a growing collection of born digital content as well as copies of some our older publications and unique archive treasures. If you are looking for the most recent editions of Met Office publications you need to visit our Current Publications .

The archive is in its early days and we are busy adding content as a priority and it will continue to grow over the coming months as we load more of our existing digital records.

Searching for digital content

You can search for both our paper and digital collections through our online catalogue and the results will link you to any digital content we have available. The online catalogue contains detailed information about our collections and is the best place to begin a search.

You can also directly access the Digital Library and Archive and either "browse"  the content or perform a fairly simple "search" using key words if you are looking for something specific.

Archive Structure

The archive is organised into a series of "collections" and at the lowest level "files". You can access collections and files by clicking on the thumbnail image.  At the file level you can you view the content in a preview box and can also opt to "download" the content.

Digital Library and Archive - search tips

The search facility in the archive is very basic but here are a few tips to help you find content:

• Select the "browse" button to navigate through the digital archive
• The "search" button allows you to enter key words to look for specific content (e.g. 'Daily Weather Report' to access the collection holding this series)
• Search results are presented in a relevance ranking order and any words included in your search terms will be considered relevant - either on their own or as a phrase.
• If you want to search for a specific phrase then put your search term in "inverted commas".

Files and File Size

Some of the files in the archive can be up 70MB in size and you may find that the preview box does not load the pages. If this happens you may find it quicker to go straight to the "download" option and opt to "save" the file rather than open.

Please Email the library if you have any questions.