Home University of Edinburgh Library Essentials
December 14, 2025
Discovering our Collections at the CRC
The Centre for Research Collections (CRC) provides access to the University’s heritage collections. These include rare books, manuscripts, University archives, Lothian Health Service Archive (LHSA), art collection, historic musical instrument collection and many more. With such a large number of collections, how do you go about discovering them. This blog post provides a list of the key resources and catalogues for discovering the different collections.
General Information: www.ed.ac.uk/is/crc
The CRC website provides general information on accessing the material at the CRC, as well as collection descriptions for our rare book collections, and manuscripts and archives.
Catalogues / Databases
Rare Books: catalogue.lib.ed.ac.uk
Archives & Manuscripts: archives.lib.ed.ac.uk
LHSA: www.lhsa.lib.ed.ac.uk/collections/index
Museum Collections (including fine art and historic musical instruments): collections.ed.ac.uk
Digital Image Collections: images.is.ed.ac.uk
Exhibitions: exhibitions.ed.ac.uk
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Get in touch!
Some of our collection material is not yet available on the online catalogues. If you are looking for something specific and cannot find it in our online resources, please get in touch as we have a printed catalogue resources at the CRC.
Email: is-crc@ed.ac.uk
Tel: 0131 650 8379
Visit: 6th Floor, Main Library, George Square (please see our website for opening hours)
Fran Baseby, Service Delivery Curator, CRC
Research Data Management (RDM) Surgery!
We all know that Research Data Management (RDM) is one of the essential areas of responsible conduct of research don’t we!
We also know that it provides a framework that supports researchers and their data throughout the course of their research and beyond. Right?
But did you know that the University recently launched a suite of services to support Edinburgh researchers with research data management tasks? See: https://libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk/2014/08/29/dealing-with-data-conference-rdm-service-launch/
The launch of the IS-led RDM Services is the culmination of work detailed in the RDM Roadmap which began in earnest in August 2012 following approval of the RDM Policy by the University Court in May 2011.
RDM programme staff will be in the Pop-up library space on the first floor of the Main Library on Monday 29 September (2pm-4pm) to answer any questions you may have about our services including:
- DMPonline:
A free web-based tool to help researchers write data management plans for
funded-grant applications – https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk/ - Data Share:
A free-at-point-of-use data repository to allow University researchers to upload,
share, and license their data resources for online discovery and re-use by others –
http://datashare.is.ed.ac.uk - MANTRA:
A free online course for researchers who manage digital data as part of a research
project http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra - DataStore:
500 GB free active storage allocation for all research staff and PG research students
http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/researchsupport/ data-management/data-storage
For further information please also visit:
- RDM Website:
One stop shop for information about the University of Edinburgh RDM Programme
and Services http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/data-management - RDM Blog:
https://libraryblogs.is.ed.ac.uk
So please pop by and pay us a visit and let us answer your Research Data Management queries.
Stuart Macdonald
RDM Service Coordinator
email: stuart.macdonald@ed.ac.uk
Next week at the Pop-up Library
29thSeptember – 3rd October
| AM | PM | |
| Monday |
Smart searching with Searcher 10-12noon |
Research Data Surgery 2-4pm |
| Tuesday |
Paper Conservation – techniques and tricks 10-12noon |
Resources Plus: How do I get hold of the book I need? 2-4pm |
| Wednesday |
Art Exposed – Art in the University’s Collections 10-12noon |
Metadata Games 2-4pm |
| Thursday |
Finding Theses 10-12noon |
Box of Broadcasts 2-4pm |
| Friday |
Managing your digital footprint 10-12 noon |
Smart searching with Searcher 2-4pm |
RDM Surgery!
Do you have a query about storing, sharing or preserving your research data? Do you need assistance with a Data Management Plan?
RDM Service staff will be in the Pop-up library space on the first floor of the Main Library on Monday 29 September (2pm-4pm) to answer any questions you may have about our services including:
- DMPonline:
A free web-based tool to help researchers write data management plans for
funded-grant applications – https://dmponline.dcc.ac.uk/ - Data Share:
A free-at-point-of-use data repository to allow University researchers to upload,
share, and license their data resources for online discovery and re-use by others –
http://datashare.is.ed.ac.uk - MANTRA:
A free online course for researchers who manage digital data as part of a research
project – http://datalib.edina.ac.uk/mantra - DataStore:
500 GB free active storage allocation for all research staff and PG research students – http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/information-services/research-support/data-management/data-storage
For further information please also visit:
- RDM Website:
One stop shop for information about the University of Edinburgh RDM Programme
and Services http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/data-management
So please pop by and pay us a visit and let us answer your Research Data Management queries.
Stuart Macdonald
RDM Service Coordinator
email: stuart.macdonald@ed.ac.uk
Zombie Apocalypse (or how to access Library resources off campus)
It’s happened! The Zombie Apocalypse is here and the real question is how do you survive both the zombies and your studies at the same time?
Stay calm … arm yourself with this list: Zombie Apocalypse Guide – How to access resources during a zombie outbreak (or any other event that may affect access to University services)
This guide created by the Library Learning Services team using Resource Lists @ Edinburgh provides handy tips on how library services can be accessed remotely and off campus. It also provides information on how to get the most use from Resource Lists and provides direction towards self-study in the areas of zombie outbreak and survival.
Library Learning Services will be up on the first floor of the Main Libraryfrom 10am-12noon 25th of September to answer all your off-campus and Zombie Apocalypse questions.
Note: if you are not already, you will be prompted to log in to EASE to access subscription content.
//
Stephanie Farley
Library Learning Services Assistant
Reformation Revisited
We were pleased to host a recent visit from the Friends of the Reformation Museum in Geneva at New College Library. The Friends were delighted to be able to view a selection of treasures from the Library’s Special Collections in the Funk Reading Room. These included Andrew Melville’s Bible, an early Greek New Testament, a Bassandyne Bible and a Geneva Bible. Their packed programme for the rest of the day included singing a psalm from the Wode Psalter in Greyfriar’s Kirk.
Christine Love-Rodgers – Academic Support Librarian, Divinity
Finding newspaper content online
![By Charles Henry Alston, 1907-1977, Artist (NARA record: 3569253) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons](http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File%3A%22WATCH_YOUR_LOCAL_NEWSPAPER%5E%5E%22_-_NARA_-_535653.jpg)
By Charles Henry Alston, 1907-1977, Artist (NARA record: 3569253) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons
- Want to get access to a full-text newspaper article when the newspaper website wants you to pay?
- Want to find out how you can search for newspaper articles about a particular event or story, either historic or current?
- Need to compare how different newspapers are covering a story?
Come along to our Pop-up Library session on Friday 26th September 2014 and find out how you can do all of this and more.
We’ll be on the 1st floor of the Main Library 2-4pm to answer any queries about newspaper searching or show you how to find, access and use the databases and resources the Library has access to that will allow you to search newspapers and get full-text.
So pop up and see us!
Trial – Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History
We
have trial access to the Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History until the 17th October.
The Oxford Encyclopedia of Women in World History, edited by Bonnie G. Smith, includes over 650 biographies of influential women and over 600 topical articles covering topics such as geography and history, culture and society, organizations, movements, and gender studies.
Feedback and further info
We are interested to know what you think of this e-book 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.
Art images online
Gandharan fragment
We are pleased to announce 253 more high resolution images for the University’s Art Collection, available on LUNA, and through the collections.ed.ac.uk portal. These were taken by ECA photographer Thomas Morgan over the summer, and amount to roughly 25% of the LUNA collection.
Highlights include improved photographs for the William Johnstone paintings (some of which you can see for yourself in the foyer of the main library) , and lots of sculpture photography. The 1st century AD Gandharan sculpture fragments (find out more), which are among the greatest treasures in the art collection, can now be seen in all their glory, from multiple angles, thanks to Thomas’ hard work.
As ever, the heavy lifting in getting this material out to Library Digital Development was done by the Art Collection team (Neil, Jill and Anna).
Scott Renton- Digital Development
Sage E-books – access resolved
Access has been restored to our Sage e-books.
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....