British Library sets sights on the East

China and India - already braced to become two of the world's greatest economic powers - are now expected to become two of its most important academic powerhouses.

The British Library - renowned for collecting books, journals and artefacts from across the globe - is set to shift its focus from Western Europe towards China and India, to ensure Britons have access to the most important research.

Staff will outline the new strategy on Tuesday along with their predictions that the two countries could overtake the West as intellectual and cultural hotspots.

The library's greatest treasures are currently kept in the elegant exhibition room on the first floor: Jane Austen's desk, Mozart's scores, Shakespeare's first folio and Einstein's calculations. Such glories marking Western thought from the past are set to be joined by work from the greatest thinkers of the 21st century - and, says the library, they are likely to come from the East.

Academics in India and China will be generating the big ideas in science, technology and economics, the library has forecast in an extensive study.

On Tuesday, it will announce its new strategy, Reflecting A Changing World, which will outline a shift of focus towards Asia and some South American countries. Its motive is to make sure it 'continues to collect material that is important and relevant to researchers now and for generations to come'.

'The beginning of the 21st century is a time of unprecedented change,' said Caroline Pung, the head of strategy and planning for the British Library. 'We do not have a crystal ball, but we have looked at Foreign Office predictions and done our best to inform ourselves so we can provide for the needs of future researchers. China and India are growing massively.'

Pung said the new strategy was a response to the explosion of publishing in the countries. She said the library acted as Britain's intellectual memory and had to ensure it provided the best material for academics in the future. The library will be able to collect more from these countries by reallocating their funds across their collection.

Tuesday's announcement will also reveal a shift towards politics, social science and international law. In addition, more work will be collected electronically. Although it will continue to collect every British publication and maintain strong links with the US, there will be a move away from some Commonwealth countries and western Europe.

Lynne Brindley, the British Library's chief executive, said it all added up to a groundbreaking change. 'My job is to make sure the British Library is still great in 10, 20 and 30 years. This is our starting point.' She highlighted the fact that China was now the fourth largest economy in the world: 'We need to trace where the best materials are coming from.'

However, some were cautious about the change of direction. Bob Ward, a spokesman for the Royal Society, said the library had to take care not to miss out on the best scientific journals: 'The British Library ought to ensure that its collection includes the most important scientific works from across the world, regardless of which country they come from.'

The library contains more than 150 million items, collected over 250 years. It includes every British publication, as well as many from across the world. Each year, enough new books and artefacts are collected to fill 12.5 kilometres of shelves.

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