This week, we launched a new service called Collections.ed.ac.uk, which you (staff, students and the wider public) can use to search the University’s rare and unique collections. Four collections are available from launch and this service will be used to make more collections accessible in the future.  We have really enjoyed working closely with the collection curators, and we’ve also enjoyed discovering more of the treasures within our collections.

The launch collections are:

• Catalogue of the University’s rare and unique collections.

• MIMEd Collection. This comprises over 4000 items, including images and some video and audio, from the Musical Instruments Museums in Edinburgh, which is a recognised collection of national significance.

• The Art Collection. Available online for the first time ever, this collection has over 500 items digitised, with more appearing over the coming weeks.

• The Calendars Collection. This collection collates the images selected for the University Calendar since 2006. These are images which really showcase the diverse range of material held in the University Collections.

Here are some of our favourite items from the collections:

• Geology Collection, which will be getting its own collection site later in the year.

• Bassoon. Nominal Pitch: C (which I have heard played in the office more times than I care to remember)

• Francis Cadell – Mountain Landscape (Western Isles)

• Demonstration of the Cantilever Principle of the Forth Bridge

Please use the Feedback link to tell us what you think!

Claire Knowles, Library Digital Development Team