Home University of Edinburgh Library Essentials
December 20, 2025
Referendum
So, what have our collections to say about the referendum? More than you may think. The Referendum is not an isolated event but sits within a historic time-line. Our collections intersect with that timeline at numerous points, directly and indirectly, and have a lot to say about the context of how we got to where we are now.
On Referendum day, join Dr Joseph Marshall (Head of Special Collections) and Grant Buttars (Deputy University Archivist) for a light-hearted look at some of these collection items. The session runs from 14.00-16.00.
To close, a hint of what might be included.
Smart Searching with Searcher
You have your reading list, so now how do you find those books, e-books and e-journal articles?
Don’t use Google, use Searcher!
Searcher is the Library’s discovery service – think of it like a library version of Google, searching the vast majority* of the Library’s resources at the same time, including books, e-books and e-journal articles.
Pop up to the 1st floor of the Main Library tomorrow, ask us how to find stuff on your reading list and we’ll give you some expert tips on how to use Searcher.
Pop up Library, Wednesday 17th September 2-4pm 1st floor, Main Library
- What is Searcher?
- How to find stuff on your reading list
- How to find books, e-books, ejournals and more
- What exactly am I searching?
* A wee disclaimer. Using Searcher you can search across the majority of resources the Library subscribes to. There are a few exceptions, notably Law databases: Lexis Nexis and Westlaw. Access Lexis Nexis and Westlaw via the Databases A-Z
Angela Laurins, Library Learning Services
St Cecilia’s Hall Museum of Instruments is now closed to allow redevelopment work to begin. We plan to re-open in September 2016
11th century Celtic Psalter – new book reader object in LUNA
One of the real treasures of Special Collections is the 11th century Celtic Psalter (Ms 56)- at nearly 1000 years old, it is referred to as the oldest book in Scotland.
This beautifully-decorated manuscript is now available virtually, using the LUNA page turning software, so please take this opportunity to view it for yourself here. Please note, the images for book reader objects are reduced in resolution for ease of use, so if you wish to see the individual pages at full resolution, you can find them here.
The Digital Development team only did the last piece of work- getting it online. The hard work of measuring and cropping the existing TIFFs and getting them to snugly fit the needs of the software was all done by the Digital Imaging Unit.
Scott Renton- Library Digital Development
Fifty Shelves of Gray (and Nelson)
The Laird of Glenfernie by Mary Johnston (Nelson’s Continental Library)
Springtime by H. C. Bailey
While the cover of Fifty Shades of Grey displays a degree of restraint, publishers and consumers of the romance genre did not always have such a taste for understated dust-jackets. Instead, they favoured a more direct approach.
The Prize-Winner. A comedy in one act by Macdonald Watson (Repertory Plays. no. 86.)
The King’s Wooing by Conal O’Riordan (Repertory Plays No. 71)
In these examples from Gowans and Gray’s playbooks of the 1910s to 30s and Nelson’s Novels from the 20s onwards, it’s clear that previous generations wanted to get right to the action.
Marcella by Mrs. Humphry Ward
Over 500 books from the Nelson publishing archive have been shelf-marked and catalogued by rare books cataloguing interns Beth and Fiona. There are only around another 9,500 left to go!
The books in the collection reflect the decades of the 20th century- beginning with the staid, uniform editions of the New Century Library; progressing through stylish art deco illustrations; austere WWI and WWII paper; bright, pulpy dust-jackets from the ‘40s and ‘50s; and into rainbow-hued classics of the later decades.
Interesting examples of the changing book styles of the 20th century will be exhibited in the 6th floor display wall at the Centre for Research Collections next year.
The Thomas Nelson Archive contains these Gowans and Gray playbooks; a handsome series of repertory plays with fragile glassine dust wrappers.
Fiona Mowat and Beth Dumas , CRC Cataloguing Interns
Welcome to the Main Library
On Monday the 08/09/14 the DIU team set our time-lapse camera up in the main library forum to capture the first day of freshers week. It turned out to be a busy day. Over 4000 people came in through the front doors. As staff we are mostly buried away in work rooms and offices therefore we don’t see the footfall through out the library. What an exciting and happening place!
Malcolm Brown Deputy Photographer
Welcome to the Library from DIGITAL IMAGING UNIT FILM on Vimeo.
Centre for Research Collections – an introduction
The Centre for Research Collection is the main space for anyone wanting to access Edinburgh University’s incredibly varied heritage collections, which encompass everything from archives, rare books and manuscripts, to historical musical instruments, art works and even some of the mould from which Alexander Fleming derived penicillin!
On Tuesday the 16th September we will be holding a pop-up session where you can see some of these great treasures and talk to members of staff about how you can access the collection.
We will be showcasing a 500 year old illuminated Book of Hours, early editions of works by Shakespeare and Tolkien, as well as a “pamphlet battle” from the 1930’s.
Join us from 10am to 12pm on Tuesday 16th September to get a taste of the fantastic items held by the University!
You can also browse our online image collection, or connect with us via Facebook or Twitter.
Learning about Learn
Over 4,500 courses this year will be using the Learn environment to provide students with online readings, information and activities. The staff who look after Learn are taking this opportunity to meet students and answer your questions about how it works.
Find out how to
- personalise your views,
- set up notifications,
- find detailed help for Learn, and
- download the Mobile Learn App for your phone or tablet.
Come along to one of our pop-up library sessions and learn more about using Learn!
Tuesday 16 Sep 2-4 pm
Friday 19 Sep 10-12 am
Monday 22 Sep 2-4 pm
Trial – Historical Texts
We have trial access to Historical Texts a database which brings together three historically significant collections for the first time: Early English Books Online (EEBO), Eighteenth Century Collections Online (ECCO) and 65,000 texts from the British Library 19th Century collection. Access is available until the 10th October.
Feedback and further info
We are interested to know what you think of this database 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.
Metadata Games at #Librarypop!
Following on from last month’s successful Metadata Games experiment, we ran another two sessions during Fresher’s Week as part of the Pop Up Library.
More than 20 people, including 16 students, participated across the two days and a quite incredible 1,530 new tags were entered into our database.
The volunteers assisted us by describing a selection of random images from our online database http://images.is.ed.ac.uk and were awarded points for good tags that described the people, objects and places visible within the pictures. A live leaderboard was displayed on the big screen so participants could compare their progress against friends and colleagues; Scholarly Communications’ Theo Andrew got the best individual staff score but new students Mara Carella, Mark Lundy and Siss Matz topped the student leaderboard.
We’ll be running the session again in October so there is still ample opportunity for anyone who hasn’t played before to race up the leaderboard and claim the highest score! Well played everyone who took part!
Please contact gavin.willshaw@ed.ac.uk or scott.renton@ed.ac.uk if you would like more information about the project.
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