The Friends of the Nations’ Libraries (FNL) helps regional, national and specialist libraries, archives and museums acquire books, manuscripts and archives that they could not otherwise afford.
The Charity provides grants, usually for between £200 and £20,000, to promote the acquisition by national and regional libraries and archives of printed books, manuscripts and records of historical, literary, artistic, architectural, musical or such like interest and to assist the libraries in any other way which its trustees consider appropriate.
Its charitable objectives are:
“The purchase of books and manuscripts as gifts to the national libraries. The expression ‘national libraries’ is understood primarily to mean the British Museum and the national libraries of Scotland and Wales, but the Charity will also assist university, municipal and other libraries to secure printed books or manuscripts which have a special interest for them.”
The Charity considers applications at Trustees' meetings in March, June and November. Applications should be made by the 1 March, 1 June and 1 November annually.