National Library of Scotland NLS

Overview

The National Library of Scotland (NLS) is one of the major national libraries of Europe and the largest library in Scotland, holding more than 30 million physical items. A non-departmental public body funded by the Scottish Government and answerable to the Scottish Parliament since 1999, NLS is one of only six legal deposit libraries in the United Kingdom and Ireland, entitled to receive a copy of every book published in the UK and Ireland. Its principal building is on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh's Old Town.

History and Founding

The National Library traces its origins to the Advocates Library, founded in Edinburgh in the early 1680s and formally opened in 1689. Under the Copyright Act of 1710, the Advocates Library acquired the right to claim a copy of every book published in Britain. By the 1920s, the upkeep of the extensive collection had become too great for a private body, and with a £100,000 endowment provided by Sir Alexander Grant of Forres, the library's collections were presented to the nation. The National Library of Scotland was formally constituted by the National Library of Scotland Act 1925. A new building on George IV Bridge, designed by Reginald Fairlie, was constructed from 1938 and completed in 1956 after interruption by the Second World War.

Collections and Holdings

NLS holds over 30 million items including rare books, manuscripts, maps, photographs, music, moving images, official publications, newspapers, and digital collections. Notable holdings include a Gutenberg Bible, the First Folio of Shakespeare, the Glenriddell Manuscripts (Robert Burns), and the last letter written by Mary Queen of Scots. The library has collected newspapers since its founding in 1925, with holdings dating back to 1641 including the earliest newspaper printed in Scotland. Scotland's Moving Image Archive, with over 46,000 videos and films, is part of NLS and based at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. The library holds the world's largest collection of Scottish Gaelic material.

Notable Materials Related to Journalism and Media

NLS holds millions of Scottish and UK national newspapers dating from 1641 to the present, including the earliest newspaper printed in Scotland, The Heads of Severall Proceedings in the Present Parliament (Edinburgh, 1641). The Manuscripts Division holds records of journalists' trade unions, printing trades, and newspaper publishers, as well as the archives of Scottish political parties and newspapers. As a legal deposit library, NLS receives all UK periodicals and newspapers.

Access and Usage

NLS reading rooms are open at the George IV Bridge building, the Causewayside Building (for maps), and at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Most collections are available by appointment using a library reader's card, issued free of charge. A growing range of digital collections are accessible online. Newspaper databases, including the British Newspaper Archive, are available on-site and remotely for library members with a Scottish address.