Home University of Edinburgh Library Essentials
April 11, 2026
Main Library Summer Improvements 2016 – Update 18th August
Work is continuing in the Main Library on a programme of works to bring significant improvements for library users through increasing the number of study spaces by 350 and providing additional power and data facilities at study desks.
Work underway this week (22nd – 31st August)
1st floor – construction and electrical enabling work will now begin in what was the ‘New Book Area’ and ‘Reception Desk’ to transform these area into new study spaces. In addition to these works, study desks adjacent to accessible study rooms 8 – 11 will also undergo upgrade which will include desk top power being installed to these desks. Please be aware that whilst these works are being carried out, temporary diversions will be put in place to both the meeting room suite and south side study area. Directional signage providing alternative access to these areas will be placed on 1st floor to assist you.
Lower Ground Floor – construction work has also now started in this area and will continue throughout the rest of August.
Apologies for the continuing noise and disruption – thank you for your patience while work is underway.
More DataVault presentations
It’s been a busy summer for the DataVault, with further presentations taking place.
First up was a short trip to Dublin to the Open Repositories 2016 conference in June. The presentation was scheduled to be part of the 24×7 session: 24 slides to be presented in 7 minutes – that’s a mere 17.5 seconds per slide (rather than the usual rule-of-thumb of a minute or two!) and with the slides auto-advancing for a bit of added fun!. Thomas Higgins and Stuart Lewis presented, and gave an overview of the project, the platform, and gave a demonstration.
A copy of the slides is available for download.
Then in August, Mary McDerby and Stuart Lewis attended the Repository Fringe in Edinburgh, where Stuart presented the DataVault in a session led by the DCC’s Angus Whyte, alongside Rory Macneil from ResearchSpace, looking at the subject of research data workflows, and what this means for systems such as the DataVault which sit within those workflows.
Wartime service honours of Dr William Aldren Turner (1864-1945)… Devised a management strategy for shell shock… Honoured by Belgium and Britain
EDINBURGH UNIVERSITY MEDICAL STUDENT… SERVED WITH ROYAL ARMY MEDICAL CORPS (RAMC)… BECAME ADVISOR ON ‘WAR NEUROSIS’ AND SHELL SHOCK TO THE BRITISH WAR OFFICE…
William Aldren Turner was born in Edinburgh, 5 May 1864. He was the son of the Principal of Edinburgh University, Sir William Turner, and his wife Agnes. The younger Turner was educated at Fettes College, and then he studied at Edinburgh University as a medical student. He graduated as M.B., C.M., with first-class honours, in 1887, and then completed a term as house physician at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary.
Detail from the citation for the award of the King Albert Medal presented to Turner by the Belgian Ministry for Foreign Affairs (Quatercentenary Collection, Box 16)
He also studied as a postgraduate in Berlin and at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London. He was awarded his M.D. in 1892.
Detail from the citation awarding the King Albert Medal to Turner, 1921 (Quatercentenary Collection, Box 16)
In 1892 Turner was appointed as an assistant to David Ferrier (1843-1928), and as a demonstrator and then lecturer in neuropathology, at King’s College, London. In 1896 be was made a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians (London), and in 1899 he was elected assistant physician to King’s College Hospital. Nine years later he became physician in charge of neurological cases and lecturer on neurology.
For six years he was also on the staff of the National Hospital for the Paralysed and Epileptic. He published Epilepsy, a Study of the Idiopathic Disease (1907), and with Grainger Stewart, a Textbook of Nervous Diseases (1910). He married Helen Mary Mackenzie in 1909.
Citation – King Albert Medal (Quatercentenary Collection, Box 16)
As a Territorial officer in the Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), Turner had been rushed to France in December 1914 as a temporary Lieutenant-Colonel (Special Duty) when it became clear that ‘nervous and mental shock’ casualties were multiplying. He was one of the few doctors at the National Hospital with first-hand experience of casualties in France.
Award to Turner from the British Red Cross and the Order of St. John (Quatercentenary Collection, Box 16)
As a consultant both at King’s College Hospital and the National Hospital, he was responsible for devising a management strategy for shell shock and in January 1915 (through to 1919) he was appointed consultant neurologist to the War Office. He was created C.B. in 1917, the same year he was elevated to Colonel.
Turner acted as neurologist to the War Office Medical Board from 1919 to 1943 – the principal advisor to the government in these matters – and from 1930 to 1943 as consultant adviser to the Ministry of Pensions.
Part of the citation from the award of OBE, 1919 (Quatercentenary Collection, Box 16)
In 1921 he was awarded the King Albert Medal (Koning Albert Medaille / Médaille du Roi Albert) by Belgium. This was a medal established by Belgian royal decree on 7 April 1919 and it was awarded to both Belgians and foreigners who were exceptionally meritorious in promoting, organising or administering humanitarian and charitable work that assisted Belgians in need during the First World War.
In recognition of valuable services rendered during the War, he was also presented with an award by the British Red Cross and the Order of St. John of Jerusalem in England, and in 1919 he was given an OBE.
‘Efforts are Successes’: Dunfermline College of Physical Education and the 1928 Olympic Games
Our collections celebrate and often reflect people’s excellence, endeavour and achievement and being in the throws of Olympic achievements we’ve looked at the Dunfermline College of Physical Education archives to see what we could find.
The Old Students Association for the College, which is still going strong, can boast of members that competed at the Olympics and many who became so expert in their sport, that they were asked to coach or umpire. We thought however we’d try and find an example of being a spectator at the Olympics, as many of us are doing that, watching it on television at home. While this is not the same as attending, many of you may have actually attended events at the Olympics in London in 2012 or the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014. Maybe you’ll recognise the experience C.D. Abercromby had in 1928, when attending the Olympics in Amsterdam, Holland.
Excerpt from Dunfermline College of Hygiene and Physical Education, ‘Old Students Association Reports 1912-1936’
Some interesting Olympics 1928 facts:
- It was the first time the Olympic flame was lit during the Olympics
- For the first time the parade was led by Greece, the home of the Olympics
- The first appearance of Coca-Cola as a sponsor
- It was the first games to be called ‘Summer Olympic Games’
- There were 14 sports, 20 disciplines and 109 events with a total of 46 competing countries
Rachel Hosker, Archives Manager
Breaking Boundaries – videos now online
A few months ago we hosted the ‘Breaking Boundaries‘ event, examining the subject of research data through the eyes of the archives, records management, and research data management communities. If you weren’t able to make the event, or if you want to hear the talks again, then you’ll be pleased to hear that the videos from the event are now online:
- Introduction (archives): Rachel Hosker
- Introduction (research data management): Stuart Lewis
- Case study / Keynote: Victoria Cranna
- Case study / Keynote: Ian Deary
- Lightning talk 1: Chris Awre
- Lightning talk 2: Adrian Stevenson
- Lightning talk 3: Rebecca Grant
For full details of the event programme and write-up, please see the following blog post:
Students PC’s Deep Clean
Please note PC’s and Key Boards within the Ground, 1st and 2nd Floors will undergo a deep clean from Monday 15th August. The contractors will start from the 2nd floor and then continue to the ground floor, the work is likely to last approximately 3 days. PC’s will be temporarily unavailable whilst the deep clean is undertaken which includes keyboard and monitor sanitising. PC’s will then quickly become available on each floor as the cleaning contractors progress to all areas of the floor.
Thank you for your patience.
Main Library Summer Improvements 2016 – Update 9th August
Work is continuing in the Main Library on a programme of works to bring significant improvements for library users through increasing the number of study spaces by 350 and providing additional power and data facilities at study desks.
Work underway this week (8th-15th August)
3rd floor – Construction work to remove empty shelves and carry out electrical works is underway on the south side of the 3rd floor. The collections PC-Q are currently cordoned off and access to these items is through consultation with Helpdesk staff located on the 3rd floor or Ground Floor 9.15-4.45 Monday to Friday, or through emailing collections-management@ed.ac.uk at other times.
Apologies for the continuing noise and disruption – thank you for your patience while work is underway.
Electrical work underway on the 3rd floor Shelving being removed on the 3rd floor
Learning Scottish Gaelic online?
The Library has purchased an e-book version, with an audio file, of Colloquial Scottish Gaelic published in August 2015. The e-book can be accessed via the Library’s DiscoverEd, or click here. Audio material to accompany the course is available to download free in MP3 format from www.routledge.com/cw/colloquials.
Colloquial Scottish Gaelic provides a step-by-step course in Scottish Gaelic as it is written and spoken today. Combining a user-friendly approach with a thorough treatment of the language, it equips learners with the essential skills needed to communicate confidently and effectively in Scottish Gaelic in a broad range of situations. No prior knowledge of the language is required. Read More
New to the Library: Academic Video Online
The Library has recently purchased access to the large and comprehensive online streaming video resource Academic Video Online from Alexander Street Press. Covering a wide range of subject areas, students and staff can use this resource to find content to meet your learning, teaching, and research interests.
You can access Academic Video Online from the Databases A-Z list.
Academic Video Online provides us with access to over 50,000 video titles covering subject areas such as Anthropology, History, Criminal Justice, Business, Counselling, Social Sciences, Education, Theatre and Drama, Diversity Studies, Science, etc. There is a wide range of material available including documentaries, interviews, performances, news programs and newsreels, field recordings, commercials, and raw footage. And you will find thousands of award-winning films, including Academy, Emmy and Peabody winners. Read More
What The Copibook Saw
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