The Data Protection Act 1998 and the Freedom of Information Act 2000, along with the Environmental Information Regulations 2004, form the basis of the government's commitment to access to information held by public bodies.

The Data Protection Act 1998 gives individuals a right of access to information about themselves. The Freedom of Information Act 2000 gives a general right of access to all types of recorded information held by public bodies, subject to certain exemptions. The Environmental Information Regulations 2004 establish an access regime which allows people to request environmental information from public authorities and bodies carrying out a public function.

These pages contain guidelines on how to access information held by The National Library of Wales under the Data Protection Act and the Freedom of Information Act, as well as a link to the Environmental Information Regulations and other relevant web sites.