The Disturbing Impact of the Cyberattack at the British Library
At 9:54 A.M. on October 28th, an apologetic message appeared on the X account of the British Library, in London: “We are currently experiencing technical issues affecting our website. We apologise for the inconvenience and hope to resolve it as soon as possible.” It was a Saturday, which, before I had kids, used to be my favorite day at the library. “The B.L.,” as its people know it, is a magnificent, red-brick, vaguely ship-shaped structure a few hundred yards from King’s Cross station, where you can request anything from a quarto by Shakespeare to “The Art of Faking Exhibition Poultry” (1934). On Saturdays, the building is quieter and the place has a mellow, productive atmosphere. I used to stop by for a few hours to catch up on work or to waste time, snuffling around for ideas. I first...