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March 7, 2026
Can RAB help you get the book you need?
Library doesn’t have a book that you want? Did you know as a student at the University you can request the Library buys books for its collections via the RAB (Request A Book) Service?
Last academic year, 2013/14, the Library purchased 940 books in response to RAB requests. 134 books were ordered directly from requests from students in Social & Political Science, this made approximately 12% of the total requests from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.
You can see a full list of all 940 titles bought by the Library through this service on the Request a book purchase for the Library.
A gutsy project: A heart to heart with the new girl
If you didn’t guess from the anatomical pun title, this blog post details the beginnings of my 10-week internship conserving the Thomson-Walker collection at The Centre for Research Collections conservation studio. As a recent MA graduate of art on paper conservation from Camberwell College of Arts I was looking for an internship that would give me the chance to gain project management experience as well as allowing me to become familiar with various printing techniques and how to treat them in innovative ways. This internship permits me to meet these aims as I am the first person to begin conservation work on this collection and shall be creating a treatment and rehousing program as well as undertaking research, experimentation and treatments to get the project underway.
Print from the Thomson-Walker Collection
The Thomson-Walker collection includes some 2,500 prints, which were bestowed to the University of Edinburgh in 1939 by Sir John William Thomson-Walker (1871-1937), a surgeon and committed print collector. The collected prints are mostly in good condition and convey portraits of influential medical men from the UK and Europe ranging from the 16th-20th centuries. The main conservation issue for this collection are the backing boards that the prints have been adhered to; the board is of low grade quality, which is not only destructive to the primary support but also prohibits the prints from being exhibited, digitised, or used as a resource for teaching. The unattractive and damaging boards and the tape used to adhere them to the primary support will have to be removed; I shall be experimenting with various treatment methods in the coming weeks in order to create a fast and effective programme of conservation which can be carried out by myself and the interns that follow after me. Additionally, the print collection varies tremendously in size and so I will also be investigating various storage solutions to rehouse this large group of artworks in a way that is not only cost effective but also accommodates how they shall be used now and in the future. Wish me luck, let’s hope my efforts aren’t in vein….
Close-up of a print hinged onto a poor quality backing board
Post by Samantha Cawson, Conservation Intern
Trial – Phaidon Atlas
We have trial access to Phaidon Atlas database until 28th February. Access available on campus or off campus via the VPN.
Phaidon Atlas is a database of architects and buildings covering 115 countries, 1590 architects, 3257 buildings and 138,547 images. Various search filters can be applied eg building type, materials etc
Feedback and further info
We are interested to know what you think of this e-resource as your comments influence purchase decisions so please do fill out our feedback form.
A list of all trials currently available to University of Edinburgh staff and students can be found on our trials webpage.
Trial – Early American Newspapers
We have trial access to Early American Newspapers until 20th February both on and off campus.
As the first draft of history, American newspapers have preserved essential records and detailed accounts of the people, issues and events that shaped the nation for hundreds of years. In the 1800s, American newspapers were often published by small-town printers and reflected the interests and values of the communities they served. But as the country grew and changed, so too did its newspapers. In the 19th century, the number of titles published rose dramatically, and newspapers were transformed by an increasing emphasis on society, industry, scientific advances, investigative journalism and human-interest stories. By the early 20th century, nearly every town in the United States had its own newspaper.
This trial covers 1690 – 1922 and a title list can be found here.
Feedback and further info
We are interested to know what you think of this e-resource as your comments influence purchase decisions so please do fill out our feedback form.
A list of all trials currently available to University of Edinburgh staff and students can be found on our trials webpage.
New books for Social and Political Science: December 2014
Thanks to recommendations from members of staff and requests via RAB from students the Library is continually adding new books to its collections both online and in print. Here are just a small number of the books that have been added to the Library’s collections in December 2014 and early January 2015 for Social and Political Science.
Understanding political science research methods : the challenge of inference by Maryann Barakso, Daniel M. Sabet and Brian F. Schaffner (shelfmark: JA86 Bar. Also available as e-book).
The wellbeing of nations : meaning, motive and measurement by Paul Allin and David J. Hand (e-book)
Government of Development : peasants and politicians in postcolonial Tanzania by Leander Schneider (shelfmark: HN797.Z9 Sch.) Read More
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Our most viewed images of 2014: numbers 5-1
Following on from yesterday’s publication of numbers 10-6, the top five most viewed images from images.is.ed.ac.uk 2014 can now be revealed!
No.5: Khush khati (calligraphy), 17th / 18th century
From the the Qit’at-i Khushkhatt, an album of Persian calligraphy (Khush Khati). The text is written in seven types of character, including Nasta’liq, Naskh and Raihan, and conforms to the format of large central letters with small ones on the outside.
No.4: Letter from Deacon Brodie, begging for mercy shortly before his execution, 1788
A Letter from Deacon William Brodie dated 10 September 1788, sent from Tollcross, begging for mercy just prior to his execution.
No.3: Title page of Sir Walter Scott’s translation of Goethe’s tragedy Goetz of Berlichingen, 1799
Sir Walter Scott began his literary career with a series of translations from contemporary German literature: on this title page of Goethe’s Goetz of Berlichingen, Scott’s name is erroneously given as William.
No.2: Ivanhoe: Castle of Torquilstone, 1832
This steel vignette, presumed to be engraved from Edward Finden’s design, shows Torquilstone Castle as it was described in Ivanhoe, ch. 21.
No.1: John Steell, 1840s
Portrait by Hill and Adamson, photography pioneers who created the first substantial body of self-consciously artistic work using the newly invented medium.
Gunsho Ruiju – new e-book collection
Following a successful trial, we have now purchased Gunsho Ruiju.
Gunsho Ruiju is a collection of old Japanese books published from the ancient times to early Edo era. Subjects cover history, literature, religion, language, customs, art, music, cultivated arts, education, morality, legal codes, politics, economy, society and many other topics. Many textual sources are only available in this collection. This is an important primary resource for the study of classical Japanese culture.
The collection consists of three parts: Gunsho Ruiju, Zoku Gunsho Ruiju, and Zoku Zoku Gunsho Ruiju:
Gunsho Ruiju: 133 volumes, 1276 digitally compiled books and sources.
Zoku Gunsho Ruiju: 86 volumes, 2,128 digitally compiled books and sources.
Zoku Zoku Gunsho Ruiju: 17 volumes, 350 digitally compiled books and sources.
For a more detailed description, click here
Access Note
At the moment these e-books can be accessed via our E-Book A-Z list, Database A-Z list and East Asian Studies A-Z list. We hope to add individual title records to our catalogue in April once records become available from the publisher.
Further info.
Further information about our e-books is available from http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/library-museum-gallery/finding-resources/resource-types/ebooks
If a book you require is not held by the library, please visit our Library Resources Plus webpage.
Trial – Punch Historical Archive
We have trial access to Punch Historical Archive until the 14th February.
From 1841 to 1992 Punch was the world’s most celebrated magazine of humour and satire – imitated, parodied and pirated from America to India and Japan.
The Punch Historical Archive will allow users to navigate and search all issues, seasonal numbers and almanacks of this iconic publication, providing a unique insight into the politics, culture and society of the 19th and 20th centuries
Feedback and further info
We are interested to know what you think of this e-resource as your comments influence purchase decisions so please do fill out our feedback form.
A list of all trials currently available to University of Edinburgh staff and students can be found on our trials webpage.
Our most viewed images of 2014: Numbers 10 – 6
The counting is complete and we can now exclusively reveal the top ten most viewed images in our online database for 2014. Numbers 10 – 6 are displayed below – check back tomorrow for the top 5!
No.10: Native Americans riding a sea monster, 1621
From the Nova Typis Transacta Navigatio Novi Orbis Indiæ Occidentalis, a fictionalised account of Benedictine missionaries which contains extraordinary engravings of mythical creatures, cannibalism and barbarity alongside authentic details of local customs, flora and fauna.
No.9: Current Periodicals section, University of Edinburgh Main Library, 1968
From a brochure published in 1968 containing details, photographs and plans of the Main Library on George Square. The image displays students at work in the Current Periodicals section (near the space now occupied by the Library Cafe).
No.8: Ragamala Painting, 18th century
Detail of a Ragamala miniature entitled ‘Patamanjari ragini of Dipaka’, which depicts a young woman rushing towards the safety of her home, having been startled by the lightning and thunder of the monsoon.
No.7: The Castle of Coningsburgh, 1837
This steel engraving depicts a scene from Sir Walter Scott’s novel Ivanhoe. It shows King Richard, Ivanhoe, Gurth, and Wamba arriving at the Castle of Coningsburgh (modern-day Conisbrough, South Yorkshire) for Athelstane’s funeral.
No. 6: Orange-bellied squarrels: male and female, 1846
From John James Audubon’s The Viviparous Quadrupeds of North America,this image shows two squirrels in their natural habitat. The full work contains 150 hand-coloured lithographic plates, including illustrations of a polar bear, a raccoon and many other animals.
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....