5 things: supporting you in your exams

Semester one is almost over and exams are looming! As the exam period approaches, it’s natural to start feeling the pressure build. But remember, you’re not alone!

At the University of Edinburgh, there are plenty of resources and services designed to support you every step of the way. In this post, we’ll highlight five key ways the library can help – from available study spaces and digital resources to helpful guides and wellbeing support – so you can make the most of your revision and head into exams feeling confident and prepared.

1) Study space, study space everywhere but not a place to sit?

A collage showing different library interiors: a large historic reading room with stained glass windows and wooden desks; a modern library aisle with bookshelves and a person working at a desk by a window; a quiet study area with tables and chairs; and a group study space with students working together.

Clockwise from left: New College Library, ECA Library, Noreen and Kenneth Murray Library, and Moray House Library.

It can feel like this sometimes during the revision and exam period, particularly if you are a regular at the Main Library or Law Library. But there are lots of study spaces across our campuses that you have access to, including some temporary additional study space during the exam period.

While the Main Library is a favourite for many, there are 8 other site libraries that you have access to (with your student card). These range from old-fashioned, picturesque libraries, to modern libraries with light and space and also include a library in what used to be a swimming pool.

Locations and opening hours of our libraries Continue reading

What will you discover at our Discovery Day?

Unlock the potential of your dissertation or thesis at Discovery Day!

Join us on Monday 27 October, 10am–2pm at the Main Library for Discovery Day, your chance to explore the amazing resources available for your dissertations and theses during our Dissertation and Thesis Festival. Continue reading

SCURL Conference 2025: increasing inclusion

To add to our recent schedule of conference reports, last month several members of our

A large glass fronted building with unusual irregular striped windows stands proud against a blue sky. The building looks to be cube shaped and sits behind a grass lawn.

The ‘Sir Duncan Rice Library’, University of Aberdeen by Stanley Howe, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

team attend the Scottish Confederation of University & Research Libraries (SCURL) Conference on the 19th of June, which took place in the striking Duncan Rice Library at the University of Aberdeen.

We were delighted to see that the conference had such an interesting programme focused on the great work member teams are doing across the country to promote inclusivity and diversity of access. Sessions included topics such as ‘Radical Hospitality: how can academic libraries support seekers of refuge?’ and ‘Higher Education librarians and social class background’. There were poster presentations from various member libraries taking action in their own settings, and keynotes from Dr Rachel Shanks, Interdisciplinary Director for Social Inclusion and Cultural Diversity at the University of Aberdeen as well as Beth Hellen-Montague, Head of Library & Information Services, The Frances Crick Institute and author of Practical Tips for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries (which is available as an ebook via DiscoverEd).

While all the talks were valuable, Beth spoke very knowledgeably on the practical work of becoming an EDI focused librarian, and while much of what she had to say regarding taking action (that all actions help, we don’t need one person doing inclusion perfectly but rather to take advantage of the positions, groups and access we already have), she also introduced new-to-us concepts such as the Academic Wheel of Privilege which we plan to consider in our future work. This can help us in making assessments regarding building our collections, but also how we approach the cultures around our educational systems and student backgrounds. It also links directly to the work Darren Flynn discussed in his session on social class in academic librarianship.

For more information about the Academic Wheel of Privilege and how it can be used for research, see the FORRT website.

We love to see a strong EDI strand in any conference we attend, and look forward to bringing our learnings from this event to discussions at our ASL EDI group and the wider L&UC EDI network too.

SarahLouise McDonald & Rania Karoula 
Academic Support Librarians

Reflections on Attending the BIALL Conference: Exploring AI and Legal Librarianship

View of students reading in a library on two floors

University of Edinburgh Law Library Senate Room to Mezzanine View with Students

This year, I was lucky enough to attend the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians (BIALL) conference for the very first time—and I hope it won’t be my last! From the moment I arrived, I was struck by how welcoming and friendly the event was. Thanks to the buddy scheme, I connected with librarians from across the profession, opening doors to future opportunities for sharing knowledge and ideas.

One of the big themes at all library conferences this year is Artificial Intelligence (AI), and BIALL was no different. As one of the AI leads in our team, I was keen to learn how AI tools are being used in legal practice and library-led support. The sessions didn’t disappoint.

Continue reading

VE Day: through our online resources

Today, 8 May 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of VE Day (Victory in Europe Day) when people in Britain and Allied nations across the world celebrated the unconditional surrender of Germany in the Second World War. While it was not the end of the conflict (it was August 1945 before the war against Japan ended) the sense of relief for people who had been living under total war for 6 years was huge. In Britain VE Day was declared a national holiday and people took to the streets to celebrate and commemorate in a huge release of collective tension. This blog posts pulls together just a small selection of our digital library resources that will help you find out more about VE Day, the events leading up to it and the aftermath.

What did the papers say?

Mentions of VE Day or Victory in Europe Day start before the 8th May, as people were aware of and anticipating the likely German surrender. So some preparations were already underway and some people began to celebrate early, on the 7th, when in Britain it was announced on the radio that the war in Europe was over.

From “This was VE-Day in London.” issue of Picture Post, May 19, 1945. Picture Post Historical Archive, 1938-1957.

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What to do when the Library doesn’t have what you need?

At the University Library you have access to a huge range of material for your research and learning including over 2 million books, archives, instruments and artworks, over 2 million e-books and 330,000 e-journals, as well as 1000s of streaming videos, digital scans, databases, and more.

Text: How To Library

But when you are doing your own research there will be times you come across items or material that our Library does not have in its collections. Don’t panic! There are options available to help you get what you need. Continue reading

Activism and Social Change in LGBT+ History

In February we celebrate LGBT+ History Month 2025 in the UK and this year the theme is ‘Activism and Social Change’. Throughout history and across the globe LGBT+ activists have fueled social change, advancing society for the benefit of all.

To help you discover more we’ve pulled together just a small selection of Library resources that will allow you to start to find out more about activism and social change in LGBT+ history, herstory, theirstory.

1) Books (we are a library after all!)
2) Digital archives and primary sources
3) LGBT collections at Lothian Health Services Archive
4) Dissertation & Thesis Festival Discovery Day : Exploring LGBTQ+ History

Books (we are a library after all!)

The International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC) was founded in 1990 as the first NGO devoted to advancing LGBT human rights worldwide. Transnational LGBT Activism : Working for Sexual Rights Worldwide asks how is that mission translated into practice? And what do transnational LGBT human rights advocates do on a day-to-day basis and for whom? Arguing that the idea of LGBT human rights is not predetermined but instead is defined by international activists who establish what and who qualifies for protection. Continue reading

On trial: The Scotsman Archive, 1951-2002

Thanks to a request from staff in History, the Library currently has trial access to the newly launched extension years for The Scotsman Historical Archive from ProQuest Historical Newspapers. While the Library already has access to The Scotsman Archive covering the years 1817-1950, the new extension module increases coverage up to 2002.

You can access ProQuest Historical Newspapers: The Scotsman Archive (1817-2002) on the E-resources Trials page. Access is available until 4 December 2024. Continue reading

AM Explorer – your primary source hub (trial access)

I’m happy to let you know that the Library currently has extended trial access to AM Explorer, your gateway to millions of pages of primary source content. AM’s collections provide access to digitised historical materials – manuscripts, government records, rare books, maps and more – across a wide range of disciplines, from History to English Literature, Gender Studies, Sociology, Economics, Area Studies, Political Sciences and more.

Screenshot of the AM Explorer homepage.

You can access AM Explorer via the E-resources trials page.

Trial access ends 8 July 2024.

While the Library already has permanent access to 21 collections from AM (listed at end) this trial access to AM Explorer gives us access to a further 66 collections covering world history from the 15th century up to modern times.

AM Explorer allows you to search through all 87 collections at one time. You can use their search to explore through a single keyword search; take a deep dive into your areas of interest; and discover new archival materials to serve your research, learning and teaching. Continue reading