Home University of Edinburgh Library Essentials
December 16, 2025
Following in the footsteps of the New College Librarian
Spent some time this morning sculling through the New College archives looking for correspondence about some of the New College Special Collections, the Dumfries Presbytery Library and the Longforgan Free Church Ministers’ Library. There’s a fascination to leafing through the thin typewritten sheets that measured out the business of New College Library over the decades. One envelope contains the daily diary notes of the New College Librarian for the autumn term (no semesters then) of 1965 – jottings and tick lists of meetings about the finances, measuring up the space needed for new periodicals, noting library staff who’ve gone home feeling ill. Other letters are handwritten enquiries to the Librarian, and his replies – “Dear Miss Grant, I have very little to tell you about the revival of the use of the saints names as dedications of Church of Scotland Parish Kirks …” this said, the letter went on to give a full page of information. My life as a librarian is measured out in e-mails, with paper letters like these occasionally lurking at the fringes.
What has changed ?
(1) HEFCE has introduced the requirement that outputs submitted to the next REF be made available in an open-access form.
(2) To be eligible, authors’ final peer reviewed manuscripts must have been deposited in an institutional repository or subject repository. Deposited material should be discoverable, and free to read and download, for anyone with an internet connection.
(3) The output must have been deposited as soon after acceptance as possible but no later than three (3) months after this date (as given in the acceptance letter or e-mail from the publication to the author).
(4) Where a publication specifies an embargo period, authors can comply with the policy by making a ‘closed’ deposit on acceptance.
(5) The policy applies to research outputs accepted for publication after 1 April 2016, but HEFCE would strongly urge institutions to implement it now.
(6) The requirement applies only to journal articles and conference proceedings with only an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN).
(7) Non-compliant outputs will not be assessed in the REF.
What do I have to do ?
(1) Create a new record in PURE including the following metadata :
- title of the research output
- name of the author(s)
- year of publication
- title of the journal where it will be published
- attach the final peer reviewed manuscript
- provisional DOI (if available)
(2) The metadata mentioned above is important because
- otherwise the PURE record cannot be saved
- starting from these minimal details, the Library staff will search and add any missing metadata (such as abstract, page numbers, volume number, issue number etc.).
How do I do it ?
Just had a new paper accepted for publication? Submit the manuscript in PURE
If you have any further questions please contact Scholarly Communication team.
Featured: March 1988
Spring has sprung in Edinburgh, with an exciting election for rector taking place, some great musical acts and much more! Read all about it below….
3 March, 1988: Medical Marches and Rector Races
The University is reported on the eve of the election of a new rector to the University, with the candidates being the “flamboyant” Richard Demarco, the “youthful” Christopher Lipscomb, the “political” Albertina Sisulu, and the “direct and humorous” Muriel Gray.
Student reports on a march of thousands of medical students from around Scotland across Edinburgh, to protest the cutting of NHS provisions for both patients and doctors, as proposed by the UK government.
10 March 1988: A New Rector a Great Performance
Muriel Gray, famous English journalist, wins the election for new University Rector by a landslide, with a more than 1,00 vote margin between herself and the next candidate.
The Proclaimers return to Scotland to preform in Edinburgh as the finale to their U.K. tour, putting on a great show at Usher Hall, according to Student critics.
Read the full issue here
February 1988
This month’s issues of Student are the bearers of bad news, from corruption in the SRC, betrayal from the Secretary of State, house fires and bus crashes. Read about the sad state of February 1988 below…
11 February, 1988: Committee Corruption and London Protests
Student reports on accusations made this week that the Teviot Row House Union Committee have been running their business with “Mafia-like operations,” according to anonymous sources.
Students from the University of Edinburgh went to London this week to take part in a nationally-organised protest against the current military actions being taken by the Israel Defence Forces against Palestine.
18 February, 1988: Essay Companies and Secretarial Betrayal
This week Student investigates a company known as London Essay Services (LES), who cater to overwhelmed students and offer an “expertly completed essay” service for a high price.
Secretary of State for Scotland, Malcolm Rifkind, announces that he will be supporting the institution of a poll-tax in Scotland, despite previously siding with those who believe it will be detrimental to vulnerable groups such as students and working class citizens.
25 February, 1988:Homeless and Hospitalised Students
A fire in a privately-let flat have cause four students to become homeless, Student reports, with no provisions or help being offered to them on the part of the University Accommodation Services.
Due to a bus crash between two vehicles on the route from Edinburgh to Dundee, a number of University of Edinburgh students have now been admitted to hospitals in both Edinburgh and Dundee, for moderate to severe injuries.
January 1988
As students return from their Christmas Holidays to the new year of 1988, an issue of Student greets them, reporting issues such as student financial problems and the protest of a conservative MP on campus. Read more below…
21 January, 1988: Student Poverty and Conservative Disagreements
According to Student, many students are now over a term behind their housing benefit payments and provisions and are now facing severe financial problems.
Conservation MP Ian Laing was hosted at Teviot Row House by the University of Edinburgh Conservative Club, however many students showed up to the MP’s speech to protest his support of policies such the poll-tax and the introduction of a loans-only scheme for all UK students.
December 1987
The final issues of Student for 1987 see a celebratory issue for 100 years of stellar student reporting, some exciting news for Teviot-goers, and a Christmas-themed political protest. Read more below…
3 December, 1987: The Centenary Issue
This edition of Student is celebrated as the centenary issue, marking 100 years student reporting!
10 December, 1987: Protests and Television on Campus
Thousands of students flocked to Edinburgh from all over Scotland to attend a Christmas-themed protest against the cutting of student funding and provisions on the part of the UK government.
Student announces that Teviot Row House is due to be fitted with Satellite Televisions in their pubs and bars, to the great excitement of many students
November 1987
This month Edinburgh is home to some great performances and some controversial politics….Read more below!
5 November, 1987: Merchant of Venice Success, By No Wind Fall for Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh may face serious cuts to resources and funding from the Scottish Government and private investors, Student reports.
The Merchant of Venice was a huge success at the Royal Lyceum Theatre, according to Student critics, who particular praised the performance of actress Elizabeth Millbank as Portia.
12 November, 1987: A Visit from Westminster and A Nightmare on Elm Street
The Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer, John Smith, paid a visit to Teviot Row House and spoke about the positives of Scottish devolution and the negatives of the impending poll-tax.
The final instalment of The Nightmare on Elm Street series premiered at the Odeon Cinema this week, with a great reception from students.
26 November, 1987: Student in Detention and James Taylor in Edinburgh
A former University of Edinburgh student was put in a detention centre in South Africa for ten weeks for his outspoken opinions supporting the anti-Apartheid movement.
James Taylor and his band travelled to The Venue in Edinburgh and put on a staller performance, according to Student critics.
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....