BLPES is the library of the London School of Economics. The old facility is part of the Southampton Buildings near the Chancery Lane tube station, and is nicknamed "The Catacombs", because the periodical section is a series damp, dark, interconnected rooms in the sub-basement. The main reading area is built in the cast-iron victorian style.

In March 2001 the BLPES moved to the LSE campus and the Chancery Lane facility was 'closed'. What that really means is some other University of London school will inherit itin a few years. The renovated Lionel Robbins Building on the LSE campus was designed by Lord Foster as an open plan space, and can be quite loud during exam time. Who goes to the library to study anyway?