Edinburgh University Library

Edinburgh University Library
Name	Edinburgh University Library
Established	1580s
Location	Edinburgh, Scotland
Type	Academic library
Collection size	Over 3 million printed volumes (est.)
Director	University Librarian

Edinburgh University Library is the principal library system of the University of Edinburgh, serving students, faculty, researchers and the public with extensive holdings in the humanities, social sciences, sciences and medicine. The library supports teaching and research across colleges including College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Science and Engineering, and College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine and maintains partnerships with institutions such as the National Library of Scotland, the British Library, the Wellcome Trust, the Heritage Lottery Fund, and the Royal Society of Edinburgh.

History

The library traces origins to the foundation of the University of Edinburgh in the 1580s and the early bequests assembled by figures like Sir Robert Sibbald, George Mackenzie, 1st Earl of Cromartie, and Sir Hans Sloane; subsequent growth reflects acquisitions tied to scholars such as David Hume, Adam Smith, James Hutton, and Robert Louis Stevenson. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries the library expanded under influences including the Scottish Enlightenment, donations from patrons linked to the East India Company, and legal deposit privileges formalized after legislation such as the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 1925. During the 20th century the library modernised in response to changes prompted by events like the First World War, the Second World War, and post-war reconstruction, while academic reforms associated with figures like Edward Caird and institutions such as the British Museum shaped collections policy. In recent decades partnerships with bodies including the Jisc, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and the EU Horizon 2020 programme have driven digital transformation and collaborative research infrastructure.

Collections and Special Holdings

The library’s holdings encompass printed books, journals, archives, manuscripts, maps, music, and prints with strengths in areas connected to scholars such as James Clerk Maxwell, Charles Darwin (correspondence holdings), Adam Ferguson, Thomas Chalmers, and collections relating to the Scottish literary tradition including materials by Sir Walter Scott, Robert Burns, and Muriel Spark. Special collections include rare books and incunabula, archives from the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, the papers of politicians like Arthur Balfour and Bonar Law, and scientific archives tied to Joseph Black and Alexander Crum Brown. The library curates university archives documenting governance and academic life with material concerning the Senatus Academicus and the development of units such as the MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine. Map collections include items connected to explorers linked to the Royal Geographical Society, and music manuscripts relate to figures associated with the Edinburgh International Festival and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. Holdings also embrace legal deposit material paralleling collections at the Bodleian Library, the Cambridge University Library, and the National Library of Wales.

Buildings and Locations

Primary sites include the historic Old College collections formerly housed near the Mound, Edinburgh and modern facilities at Main Library, George Square; additional location points serve specialized users at sites affiliated with the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the Veterinary School at Easter Bush, and the King’s Buildings. Architectural phases reflect contributions by architects such as Sir Robert Rowand Anderson and concepts tied to campus planning influenced by the Edinburgh New Town expansion. Conservation and storage occur at climate-controlled repositories comparable to facilities used by the National Records of Scotland and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art for preservation of fragile items and maps.

Services and Access

The library provides lending and reference services for students enrolled in programmes like those offered by the School of Law, the School of GeoSciences, the School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures, and the Edinburgh Medical School. Digital services include access to subscriptions from vendors such as JSTOR, Elsevier, Taylor & Francis, ProQuest, and Oxford University Press; interlibrary loan and document delivery networks connect with systems run by the British Library Document Supply Service and the Sconul consortium. Reader registration accords with policies overseen by the University Court and complies with data frameworks used by partners including the Digital Preservation Coalition. Outreach and exhibitions are coordinated with cultural organisations such as the National Museums Scotland and events like the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Governance and Organisation

Operational governance is led by the head appointed as University Librarian reporting to the Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Edinburgh and working with committees including representatives of the Academic Senate and professional groups affiliated with the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals and the Society of Archivists. Budgetary arrangements interact with funding streams from the Scottish Funding Council, philanthropic gifts from trusts like the Scottish Rights of Way and Access Society and donors modeled on benefactors such as Andrew Carnegie. Strategic planning aligns with university missions articulated by chancellors and principals including collaborations with research councils like the Economic and Social Research Council and the Medical Research Council.

Digitisation and Research Support

Digitisation programs have partnered with organisations including the Europeana initiative, the National Library of Scotland digital teams, and projects funded by bodies such as the Wellcome Trust and Jisc to create open-access resources for items connected to figures like James Hutton and Mary Queen of Scots. Research support services provide data management planning aligned with mandates from funders such as the UK Research and Innovation and the European Research Council, offer training coordinated with the Edinburgh DataShare platform, and deliver specialist support for digital humanities projects involving collaborators like the School of Informatics and the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities.

Category:Libraries in Scotland Category:University of Edinburgh