At the end of October 2023, the British Library was subject to a major cyber-attack, which disrupted access to electronic Legal Deposit (eLD) content. A large-scale exercise was subsequently undertaken to check the integrity of the vast core eLD dataset. This led to the development of a new secure interface for accessing eLD content collected prior to October 2023 (excluding the UK Web Archive, which remains unavailable).
The ELD SOLO Browser 
is an interim solution with limited functionality; for example, some of the tools and icons do not work properly.
Restoring access was deemed necessary despite these shortcomings. Fortunately, a project is underway to develop an improved version of the player. More information will be shared in due course.
When you view an electronic Legal Deposit item via the ELD-SOLO Browser situated on the desk top, you will see it in either PDF or ePUB format. The two formats have different viewing platforms. It is easy to tell the difference between the formats from the viewing screen, the automatic zoom function icon is only in the PDF format.
To open an eLD item you will need to accept the terms and conditions by ticking the box as shown below and then clicking on 'Continue'.
electronic Legal Deposit items in PDF format are generally easier to work with than ePUB format as they use fixed pagination and offer more tools/functionality for navigation, searching, printing and citation. Please note icons shown with 
are not operational.
To do a keyword search in a PDF item click on the search icon. The search box will then appear. Type in your search term and press return. Your search returns will be highlighted in colour throughout the document. Use the two arrows on the right of the search box to navigate to your search terms in the item.
To change the size of the item/document you are looking at use the automatic zoom function. To increase or decrease the size of the whole screen use the magnifying icons situated on the far top right of the screen.
More tools are available to change how you view an item by clicking on the double arrows at the far right of the screen.
To view the Table of Contents click on the document outline icon. The Table of Contents will open. From here you can click chapter headings or parts to navigate to that part of the document. You can also navigate inside the document by clicking on the blue text when shown. Pagination is shown in the box. The numbers outside the box refer to the number of page images there are of the item.
Click on the print icon that is below the blue banner only. This will open the standard PCAS printing options. Normal PCAS charges apply.
Citing a PDF document is more straightforward than for ePUBs because PDFs have fixed pagination. Whether you need to include information about the format and a URL will depend on your referencing style. Most referencing style guides offer information about citing digital materials. If you are using a style which does require you to list the format/platform, we suggest referring to the eLD material as a ‘Restricted Access eBook’ or ‘Restricted Access Article’.
It is important to sign out of an item when you have finished viewing it. This will release it for another person to view. Please close the browser window when you have finished looking at an item.
Please note: Printing from, bookmarking, keyword searches and the 'Ctrl F' keyboard function in ePUB format are not currently available. Icons shown with are not operational.
ePUBs are not uniform in their functionality. For example, the table of contents may not be configured to allow you to move around the document and hypertext links on chapter headings may not work. If you find you are unable to move around the document or have clicked on a tool that stops the viewer working close the viewing window down, then open the item again from the ELD SOLO Browser.
When viewing an ePUB within the ELD SOLO Browser, it is important to first configure the interface to ensure that the text will also reflow when the sidebars are open, making it easier to navigate the document. This can be done via the settings icon located in the top right corner of the screen. Make sure the box is ticked beside the ‘Reflow text when sidebars are open’ option
Use the icon on the left to open the side bar to show the contents of an item. Click on contents, or click on text that is highlighted in blue to navigate around the item.
Use the magnify icons on the top right of the page to enlarge or reduce the size of the screen.
How do I sign out of an ePUB when I have finished using it?
It is important to sign out of an item when you have finished viewing it. This will release it for another person to view. Please close the browser window when you have finished.