From slave trader to ‘Amazing Grace’ – John Newton TAGS: Church of England | Divinity | eighteenth-century | Hymn | hymns | New College Library | rare books | revival | slavery | Special Collections | Z Collection Today marks the anniversary of the birth of John Newton, Anglican clergyman and hymn writer. This volume from New College Library’s Special Collections tells his remarkable story. The Authentic narrative …Continue reading →

To fast or feast? Celebrating Christmas in the eighteenth century TAGS: Christianity | Christmas | church history | Church of England | Edinburgh | eighteenth-century | Funk | New College Library | rare books | Theology & Ethics | theology in history | Z Collection Many folk will be going to Christmas lunches and parties this week – including New College Library staff. Outside our office window the Edinburgh Christmas fair is in full (and noisy) swing, celebrating the …Continue reading →

To Africa with Love TAGS: Africa | Archives | missions | New College Library | research | Scotland | Special Collections | World Christianity | Z Collection Today’s Centre for the Study of World Christianity Research Seminar is presented by Dr Jack Thompson, ‘African mission photography: Light on Darkness’. This item, Reports of the Glasgow Missionary Society, from …Continue reading →

Israel, the Assyrians and a shoemaker’s gift TAGS: Biblical Studies | Disruption | Divinity | donations | eighteenth-century | history | Israel | New College Library | nineteenth-century | Presbyterian | rare books | Special Collections | U.S.A. | Z Collection At todays’ opening seminar in the Divinity Biblical Studies Research Seminar series, the speaker is Dr Carly Crouch, Lecturer in Hebrew Bible, University of Nottingham, on “Israel and the Assyrians”. On …Continue reading →

Here comes the rain again … TAGS: Books | New College Library | R.L. Stevenson | Special Collections | twentieth-century | Z Collection The rain is pouring down this afternoon in thundery showers. Here’s a rainy day item from New College Library’s collections. Robert Louis Stevenson wrote this prayer in time of rain …Continue reading →

A nineteenth century view of Islam at New College Library TAGS: islam | New College Library | nineteenth-century | Special Collections | University of Edinburgh | Z Collection In this month of Ramadan, I thought I would feature this recently catalogued item from New College Library’s Z-Collection that gives a nineteenth century Western view of Islam. An history …Continue reading →

The ‘Z’ Factor : New College Library’s rediscovered Special Collections TAGS: cataloguing | Centre for Research Collections | Edinburgh | Funk | library catalogue | New College Library | nineteenth-century | rare books | Scotland | Special Collections | University of Edinburgh | Z Collection What are Special Collections? At New College Library we have Special Collections of books, archives  and manuscripts and a small collection of portraits and objects. Much of the book collections have …Continue reading →