On Valentine’s Day 1984 a British television audience of more than 24 million watched Torvill and Dean skate to Maurice Ravel’s Boléro at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo. The performance brought them a gold medal and a seemingly permanent place in the hearts of the British nation. Thanks to the success of John Curry, […]
Rare book by J.R.R. Tolkien held by National Library of Scotland
A recently retired member of staff got in touch with the Library to ask if we were aware that we had a very rare book by J.R.R, Tolkien in the collections. The rare item is a booklet called “Songs for the Philologists” by J.R.R. Tolkien and E.V. Gordon which was privately printed by the Department […]
Factual books for children in the collections
Legal deposit legislation means that most UK and Irish publications are in our collections. As a consequence we have items you might not expect to find in a reference library such as car and other repair manuals and Mills and Boon romances. If you need information on how to build a shed, knit a jumper, […]
You can now explore “The Listener” magazine for free
You might have thought about getting a reader’s ticket for the National Library of Scotland but decided against it as it is not convenient for you to visit our Edinburgh reading rooms. Did you know that free membership of the Library lets you consult our physical collections but also gives you remote access to digital […]
Arabella Buckley: female science writer and early supporter of Darwin
Women are still relatively under-represented in the fields of science, technology engineering and mathematics (STEM). Why is this so? Unfortunately, there are still negative stereotypes surrounding nerdy scientists, and there is a lack of encouragement and awareness for girls potentially interested in studying science subjects.
1776: a revolutionary year for Scottish newspapers
Can you imagine living in a time where the news only appeared three days a week? In 18th-century Scotland that was normal; but for us, living in an era of 24-hours rolling news, 365 days a year, it would be very strange. In 1776 one Edinburgh newspaper owner, John Robertson, dared to be different. He […]
Breaking the news in the 1710s: The Scots Courant
Ever wondered about what kind of news people were reading in Scotland over 300 years ago? What kind of small advertisements were appearing in print? How, in an age where travel and communications were slow and difficult, a newspaper’s editor managed to find news to print while worrying about government censorship?
Marks, manicules and more: interactions with our collections
By Ash Charlton, collaborative PhD student on placement with Rare Books. Please note that some material in the collection and the language that describes them may be harmful. Read our statement on language you may encounter when using the collections. The National Library of Scotland holds a wealth of information, including a substantial collection of […]
Some new football books for the collections thanks to Cammy Murray of St Mirren, Motherwell, and Arbroath Football Clubs
The Library is home to almost certainly the largest collection of books on Scottish football in the world. We have biographies, annuals, club histories and match programmes dating from the mid 19th century to the present day covering all levels of the game from amateur to the national team. We are always keen to add […]
The slavery debate and pamphlet wars
By Ash Charlton, collaborative PhD student on placement with Rare Books. Please note that some material in the collection and the language that describes them may be harmful. Read our statement on language you may encounter when using the collections. The National Library of Scotland holds a wealth of information, including a substantial collection of […]