Home University of Edinburgh Library Essentials
April 8, 2026
The woman behind the windows at New College Library
Visitors to New College Library can’t fail to be impressed by the beautiful stained glass windows which surround the Library Hall. These windows were the gift of Miss Grace Warrack, who worked with the prominent stained glass artist Douglas Strachan to design the windows over a twenty year period. Read More
Women and religion books for International Women’s Day 2018
Here’s a selection of new books at New College Library to celebrate International Women’s Day!
The Grace of Sophia :a Korean North American women’s Christology, by Grace Ji-Sun Kim, was recommended by a Divinity student and is now available at New College Library at BS580.W58 Kim.
Students can recommend books for the library using the online form at www.ed.ac.uk/is/rab
New out on the shelves at New College Library are:
Recognizing other subjects : feminist pastoral theology and the challenge of identity, by Katharine E. Lassiter, 2016. BT83.55 Las.
A history of the Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians (1989-2007), Rachel Nyagondwe Fiedler, 2017, BR1430 Fie.
Women’s voices and the practice of preaching by Nancy Lammers Gross, 2017 BV4211.3 Gro.
Newly available as ebooks are :
American Catholic Women Religious Radicalized by Mission by Donna Maria Moses, 2017
Women, Religion, and the Gift : An Abundance of Riches, ed. Morny Joy 2017
Women’s Authority and Leadership in a Hindu Goddess Tradition by Nanette R. Spina, 2017
New College Library has a regular display of new books at the far end of the Library Hall, close to the door to the stacks. Details of all new books are available via DiscoverEd.
Christine Love-Rodgers, Academic Support Librarian – Divinity
Queens and female coders
Recommended library museum piece to view on International Women’s Day
Today is International Women’s Day. And this year, which just happens to be 100 years since women have had the right to vote, the theme of the day/year is Press for Progress. To motivate you to think, act and be gender inclusive – we’re sharing a book and museum piece, which are linked to powerful and influential women throughout history.
Dr Sarah Deters is the Learning and Engagement Curator at The University of Edinburgh’s St Cecilia’s Hall – the Concert Room & Music Museum on Niddry Street. She shares a couple items that have inspired her below.
1940s female coders
“I am not sure if I have a favourite book written by a woman, but I really enjoyed the book Code Girls by Liza Mundy, said Dr Deters.
“This non-fiction book follows the journey of a number of American women who were recruited by the US Navy and Army to become cryptanalysts during the Second World War. It was a fascinating book and I really enjoyed learning about this very important, but otherwise forgotten, group of women and the critical work they did during this time.“
At Arlington Hall, a secret African American unit – mostly female, and unknown to many white workers – tackled commercial codes, keeping tabs on which companies were doing business with Hitler or Mitsubishi. Copyright US National Security Agency.
At Arlington Hall, Ann Caracristi (far right), an English major from Russell Sage College, matched wits against Japanese code makers, solving message addresses and enabling military intelligence to develop “order of battle” showing the location of Japanese troops. The messages would then be passed along to Dot Braden and other women whose efforts led to the sinking of Japanese ships. Copyright: US National Security Agency.
Harpsichord fit for a 17th century queen
“On display at St Cecilia’s Hall is a harpsichord, which is not only decorated with paintings of women revelling in what appear to be a bacchanal-like gathering, but is thought to have been owned by a famous and powerful woman,” shared Dr Deters. “The harpsichord was made by Andreas Ruckers in Antwerp in 1608.”
Portrait of Christine of Sweden (1626-1689) by royal court painter Jacob Henry Elbfas dated 1640 or 1642. Copyright: Wikimedia Commons.
“Sometime in the mid-17th century the lid was painted, most likely by the Flemish artist Pieter Codde, who lived from 1619 – 1666. His painting shows a mythical scene complete with a faun and figures representing love, dance and music. My favourite character in the painting is a woman in a vibrant red dress who is playing a lute. Aside from the lovely decoration on this instrument, I really enjoy its provenance. The harpsichord is believed to have been owned by Christina of Sweden, who baulked against the gender norms of her day, was highly educated and was known for her patronage of the arts.”
Double-manual harpsichord by Andreas Ruckers. Copyright: The University of Edinburgh
Check it out
St Cecilia’s Hall is home to the University of Edinburgh’s collection of historic musical instruments.
Opening hours: Tues-Sat, 10 am- 5 pm
Location: 50 Niddry Street, Edinburgh EH1 1LG
The University of Edinburgh’s Main Library is celebrating its 50th anniversary at George Square – where connections come alive. The library is currently creating an archive of current and former students and staff memories. Submit your memories via our website, Facebook or Twitter pages #UoElib50. Photos and videos are welcome!
Database trial – NK News
NK News is an independent, specialist database focused on North Korea. It aims to be a one-stop-shop on North Korea, bringing together news, opinion & analysis, research tools, data, and subject specialists in one convenient place. In addition to providing primary and secondary data on North Korea that is unavailable anywhere else, it offers research tools specifically tailored for users within government and academia. KCNA Watch provides up-to-date North Korea state media.
The Library has arranged a trial of NK News, including NK Pro and KCNA Watch, from 1 to 31 March 2018. Access these resources on the University network.
E-resources for Korean Studies
With the partial financial support from the Korea Foundation, we have now subscribed to 6 Korean databases of e‐books, e‐journals, bibliographies and newspaper archives covering a wide range of subject areas. The initiative was in response to the emerging Korean Studies programmes in the department of Asian Studies. These databases are all listed in the Databases by Subject for East Asian Studies.
Explore black history through Archives Unbound
In this week’s blog post I wanted to highlight a number of primary source databases that you have access to at the University that allow you to discover more about black history.
I’m concentrating on collections available to you through Archives Unbound, which presents topically-focused digital collections of historical documents. There are currently 265 collections in Archives Unbound covering a broad range of topics from the Middle Ages forward-from Witchcraft to World War II to 20th century political history.
You can access Archives Unbound via the Databases A-Z list or Primary Sources database list.
As Archives Unbound covers such a vast range of subjects and collections, searching through the whole database will provide material perhaps from some surprising areas (so it’s very worthwhile doing this), however, I’m going to focus on some of the individual collections. You can access the individual collections by clicking on “Browse Collections”, where you can either browse through an alphabetical list or choose to browse by “Categories” instead.
So here is just a small selection of collections that will allow you to take your research into black history further.
Fannie Lou Hamer: Papers of a Civil Rights Activist, Political Activist, and Woman
Fannie Lou Hamer (née Townsend) was born in Mississippi in 1917. The youngest of 20 children she would go on to become an American voting rights activist and a leader in the Civil Rights Movement. Hamer was instrumental in organising Mississippi Freedom Summer for the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). She was actively involved in starting the Delta Ministry, and she was one of the founders of the Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party later to become the Vice-Chair. Read More
5 recommended library resources for LGBT+ History Month
February has seen the celebration of LGBT+ History Month in the UK and you may have enjoyed one of the many fantastic events put on by the University’s Staff Pride Network or the University’s Students’ Association. LGBT+ History Month may be near the end but I wanted to highlight just some of the library resources available to staff and students of the University that will allow you to study and research LGBT+ history further.
1. Books, journals, articles, etc.
The Main Library is co-hosting a ‘micro-exhibition’ with student groups Project Myopia and LiberatEd with a pop-up book display on the ground floor this week. A LGBT+ History Month Resource List has also been put together to highlight the wide range of LGBT+ books available at the University Library. This is just a selection of titles available at the Library and you can use DiscoverEd to find more.
You can also use DiscoverEd to search for and find a large range of journal articles and journals on LGBT+ related research. Or you can go further in your research by using some of the bibliographic databases the Library has access to that will allow you to search for journal articles, abstracts, book reviews, book chapters, reports and proceedings, etc.
2. What to watch?
You can use some of the Library’s moving image and video streaming databases to search for and view films, documentaries, news programmes, interviews, plays, TV programmes, etc. Read More
On trial: Secret Files from World Wars to Cold Wars
Following a successful trial towards the end of last academic year I’m pleased to let you know that we’ve been allowed trial access again to Secret Files from World Wars to Cold War: Intelligence, Strategy and Diplomacy from The National Archives and Taylor & Francis. This provides you with access to 144,000 pages of British government secret intelligence and foreign policy files source from the National Archives U.K. Content which is only available elsewhere by visiting the National Archives in London.
You can access this online archive via the E-resources trials page.
Access is available both on and off-campus.
Trial access ends 26th March 2018.
This major primary source database contains nine file series which span four major 20th century conflicts – the Spanish Civil War, the Second World War, the early years of the Cold War and the Korean War. Files are sourced from the Permanent Undersecretary’s Department (PUSD) – the PUSD was the point of liaison between the Foreign Office and the British intelligence establishment – Joint Intelligence Sub-Committee, War Cabinet, Cabinet Office and Ministry of Defence. Read More
On trial: Black Newspaper Collection
*The Library now has access to all titles in the Black Newspaper Collection until 31st July 2024 as part of ProQuest Access 350.*
Thanks to a request from a HCA student the Library has trial access to the Black Newspaper Collection from ProQuest Historical Newspapers. This superb resource contains the archives of 9 individual newspaper titles that provide cultural perspective and insight to the events that shaped the United States in the 20th Century.
You can access Black Newspaper Collection via the e-resources trials page.
Access is available both on and off-campus.
Trial access ends 28th March 2018.
Black Newspapers offers primary source material key to the study of American history and African-American culture, history, politics, and the arts. The 9 titles included in this resource are: Read More
On trial: primary source databases from Adam Matthew
*The Library has now purchased access to Literary Print Culture: The Stationers’ Company Archive. See New to the Library: Literary Print Culture.*
We currently have trial access to Literary Print Culture: The Stationers’ Company Archive and London Low Life, two fascinating primary source databases from Adam Matthew.
So if you’re interested in the history of the book or of publishing, working and social lives in Victorian London, history of copyright, police and criminality in the 19th century, the workings of an early London Livery Company, commerce in London and more, then there may be something here for you.
Left: Hints to men about town, or, Waterfordiana: containing a list and description of the most known,swell, flash-up, and downright introducing houses and celebrated seraglios … with the means employed to prevent venereal infection … / by a sporting surgeon (1830s) from London Low Life. Right: Architectural plan for Oxford University Press, Amen Corner (1913) from Literary Print Culture.
Both databases can be accessed via the E-resources trials page.
Access is available on and off-campus.
Trial access for both databases ends 12th March 2018. Read More
Collections
Hill and Adamson Collection: an insight into Edinburgh’s past
My name is Phoebe Kirkland, I am an MSc East Asian Studies student, and for...
Cataloguing the private papers of Archibald Hunter Campbell: A Journey Through Correspondence
My name is Pauline Vincent, I am a student in my last year of a...
Projects
Cataloguing the private papers of Archibald Hunter Campbell: A Journey Through Correspondence
My name is Pauline Vincent, I am a student in my last year of a...
Archival Provenance Research Project: Lishan’s Experience
Presentation My name is Lishan Zou, I am a fourth year History and Politics student....