Over the last two weeks, I have been trying in vain to order some manuscripts to consult in the British Library. Assuming that it was something wrong with my Internet connection, I came into the Library myself. But it turns out that all systems are down: no access to the website, no availability of MSS, no possibility of ordering manually. If one wanted evidence of our huge dependence on the Internet, I can think of no better example.
See below:-
| Charles | Saumarez | Smith | 
Indeed. And particularly so if one is 400+ miles north. The outage has made be realise how often I logon to the BL website.