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Britannica Library

The Go-to Reference Resource for All Ages​

With content delivered at four distinct levels, library patrons can conduct research, work on special projects, or explore their unique interests.

britannica library screens at several levels
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Fact-Checked Articles
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Images, Videos, and Audio Clips
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Biographies
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Primary Sources

Four Different Levels to Support Every Patron

Users can switch between three reading levels on each article, listen to articles read aloud, and use Merriam-Webster’s double-click dictionary to learn definitions and hear pronunciations. Articles can also be translated into over 100 languages.

Britannica Library: Young Children

Age-appropriate, standards-aligned content in six categories featuring audio read-aloud, word-by-word highlighting, and localization in native Spanish.

Britannica Library: Children

Find unique and safe content that empowers younger users to ignite curiosity and discovery.

Britannica Library: Young Adults

Encourage independent learning with access to multimedia content and the ability to toggle between reading levels.

Britannica Library: Reference Center

Allow users to easily conduct fact-checked research from continually updated articles.

What’s New with Britannica Library?

From streamlined article navigation to the launch of vibrant interactive media, we’re thrilled to showcase what’s next.

Britannica library image of solar system article
Easy-to-Use Navigator
Tools are now centralized in a controller
to help save time on non-learning tasks.
Article Media Gallery
Quickly preview and access all media at the
top of articles, enhancing self-directed learning.
New Interactives
Discover hundreds of interactives, from key events
in MLK's life to details about different dog breeds.
New Article Format
Make information more accessible, compelling,
and quicker to find, all while reducing cognitive load.

View article sources and related questions

Save questions and answers as a text file

Ask natural-language questions and instantly receive reliable,
concise answers sourced from Britannica’s trusted content.

New! ASK Britannica...

ASK Britannica is an AI-powered Q&A tool in the high school level of Britannica School. Designed for student safety and academic integrity, it delivers clear, concise answers from Britannica’s expert-reviewed content—supporting curiosity with learning that’s focused, trustworthy, and classroom-ready.

Take Students on an Adventure

Our scavenger hunts are the perfect way to explore platform updates through independent or guided discovery. 

Enhance Research with Features and Tools

Use the conveniently located controller to save, share, and cite articles, images, and videos.
Help ELLs and emerging readers with read-aloud and other reading support tools.
Find how-to documents for book reviews, research papers, science reports, and presentations.
Explore thousands of magazine and journal articles directly related to search topics.

Your All-In-One Resource Hub

Teach Britannica is the new all-in-one, open-access resource hub created by educators for educators. With high-quality, customizable digital and print-ready resources, it’s designed to save you time, streamline lesson planning, and engage students across every grade level. Whether you’re looking for comprehensive strategies or lesson minis, it delivers tools that empower educators and transform learning experiences.

You Can Cite Us

Britannica uses a thorough and meticulous editorial process to deliver trusted information worldwide. As a result, students and educators across the globe have unparalleled access to expert knowledge across subject areas, while educators trust they are putting safe, appropriate, and vetted resources into the hands of students.

Connect Your Community with the Britannica Library Reference Suite

Enrich learning and engage with community members from all backgrounds with an extensive collection of high-quality, fact-checked research content, resources, and tools. The suite includes access to five of our premier products:

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Let's Connect

Talk with a representative to request a quote or learn more about Britannica Library.

New! ASK Britannica...

Your Questions. Our Answers, Powered by AI.

About ASK Britannica
ASK Britannica answers your questions with information and insights from our wide-ranging collection of articles. For generations, knowledge-seekers have turned to Britannica for answers they can trust. ASK Britannica offers a new way to engage with Britannica content.

How It Works
ASK Britannica includes unique features to improve accuracy and relevance:
  • Safe Learning: Filters queries to maintain an educational focus and a secure learning environment.
  • Trusted Knowledge: Searches Britannica’s vast resources to answer each question.
  • Conversational: Understands natural queries better than keyword searches, delivering more relevant results.
  • Context Awareness: Maintains an understanding of multi-turn conversations, allowing for natural follow-up queries and clarifications.
  • Complete Responses: Provides answers with links to Britannica articles, related topics, and follow-up questions.
Britannica’s Approach to AI
We are committed to using technology responsibly, offering new ways to engage with our content. ASK Britannica is built to enhance rather than replace the educational process — to inspire curiosity and the joy of learning. We also understand that even ASK Britannica will make mistakes as the technology evolves. It is a complement to — not a substitute for — exploring Britannica’s enormous knowledge base. As always, please verify all information in Britannica articles.

FAQ

ASK Britannica does not utilize or store personal information or student data. Each user’s interaction with ASK Britannica is independent and private. For information about Britannica’s compliance with data privacy laws and regulations, including those related to student data, such as FERPA, please refer to our Britannica Education Privacy Policy Notice.

Character limits help prevent misuse, such as copying entire essays or assignments. These limits encourage focused questions while maintaining academic integrity. The system is designed to respond to specific topic queries rather than to handle full documents or extensive text.
The system filters inappropriate content and questions outside its educational scope, including harmful content, personal information requests, or non-academic queries. The system will not write essays or complete assignments, and it is not intended to answer test questions. Because responses are limited to Britannica’s verified content, users stay within a curated educational environment that maintains academic integrity and student safety.

ASK Britannica draws from Britannica’s verified content, providing source links to relevant articles for independent verification by users. This verified content is also the basis for Britannica Education resources.

Although ASK Britannica uses verified sources, users should confirm information using the cited Britannica articles. Source links are provided in each response for verification and proper citation.
Students should cite both the ASK Britannica response and the original source articles contained within each response. Best practice is to always reference the primary Britannica articles for academic citations.
No, individual interactions remain private and are not monitored. However, institutions can choose to enable or disable the AI tool based on their educational and institutional preferences and policies.
ASK Britannica’s knowledge base is updated regularly to reflect new content and changes in Britannica articles, ensuring current and accurate information.
ASK Britannica is designed to provide information only from Britannica’s content. However, in cases where the AI misinterprets a question or experiences an error, it might inadvertently include information from non-Britannica sources. Such instances are unintentional and do not align with the system’s intended functionality. As a result, users are advised to verify any AI-generated responses using Britannica’s official published content.

Scavenger Hunts

Help your students discover Britannica School and Library through independent or guided discovery.

Let us help you!

Find out how Expedition: Learn! can accelerate your students’ learning.

Let Britannica help build the right training plan for your staff.

Let us help you!

Find out how Expedition: Learn! can accelerate your students’ learning.

Expedition: Learn! Scope & Sequence

Click to expand

View the available lessons for elementary and middle school science and social studies

Expedition: Learn! Teacher Toolkits

Expedition: Learn! Reading Levels

Choose between 4 reading levels to meet the needs of every learner

Expedition: Learn! Spark Video

Each Expedition: Learn! Lesson begins with a video to spark students’ interest in the topic

COMING SOON!

Britannica Expedition: Learn!

Ignite the spark of curiosity and accelerate learning

You are reading a Middle School level article.

For Elementary or High School reading levels, please contact us.