iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Rain can signal hope, danger, romance, freedom or atmosphere ☔ In our new long read, Library staff explore rainy moments in cinema and what they mean to us.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

We’re excited to be hosting this event for early career researchers on Tuesday 3 November. Interested? Find out more at the link below 👇

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

We're hiring! We're looking for passionate, skilled people to help us preserve and share Scotland's cultural heritage.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 23/09/2026

Ever wanted to see how a street looked 100 years ago - right where you're standing now? 🗺️ Our georeferenced maps let you do exactly that. We've got over 600 layers freely available online, with tools to filter, measure, draw, compare and export them.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 22/09/2026

Before William Hamilton’s ‘Campi Phlegraei’ (1776), public understanding of volcanic activity was hazy at best 🌋 Hamilton, Britain’s ambassador to Naples, had a front-row seat from his villa as Mount Vesuvius began to stir.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 16/09/2026

We were delighted to welcome Uachtarán na hÉireann (President of Ireland), Catherine Connolly, to the Library today.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 18/08/2026

What happens when you see something you made 60 years ago in a national collection? 🗺️ In the summer of 1967, teenagers Margaret and Katy walked the farmland around Fochabers in Moray, mapping crops, distilleries, and remote paths as part of Britain's Second Land Utilisation Survey.

Margaret and Katy smiling in the National Library of Scotland's Maps reading room.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

In 1693, John Slezer published 'Theatrum Scotiae' – a book of engraved views that offered readers a new way to see Scotland, from castles and palaces to burghs and universities. Slezer was a military engineer from the Rhineland who became Chief Engineer for Scotland.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

Did you hear our National Librarian Amina Shah on BBC Radio 6 Music this morning? Amina spoke with Nick Grimshaw about a Very Specific Playlist which ties in with our exhibition, ‘Rain’, on now at our George IV Bridge building in Edinburgh.

A screenshot of a Spotify playlist titled 'Rain - playlist by National Library of Scotland'

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 04/08/2026

What are the rules of a library? 📜 Acclaimed artist Peter Liversidge spent eight months researching our collections, speaking to staff, and studying library rules from around the world to create 'The Rules of the Library' – a large-scale artwork now on display in our General Reading Room.

Close up photograph of 'The Rules of the Library' by Peter Liversidge.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 28/07/2026

A warm welcome to Claire White, our new Shetland Scots Scriever! 🥳🎻 Claire is a songwriter and traditional fiddle player from Shetland, with a deep passion for the Shaetlan language.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 21/07/2026

Kelvin Hall has been many things over the last hundred years: an exhibition space, a circus venue, a transport museum, and – since 2016 – home to our moving image and sound collections.

A wide shot of the front of Kelvin Hall, Glasgow.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 15/07/2026

Geologist on Shackleton's 'Endurance'. Survivor of ten months trapped in ice. Avid book collector ⛵❄️📚 Although best known for being the geologist on Shackleton's ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Sir James Mann Wordie was an academic, an avid book collector, and a keen mountaineer.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 10/07/2026

We're hiring! We're looking for passionate, skilled people to help us preserve and share Scotland's cultural heritage. #Jobs #LibraryJobs #HeritageCareers #ScottishCulture #EdinburghJobs

Image of the National Library of Scotland's George IV Bridge building with text reading: 'We're hiring'.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Missing octopus alert! ⚠️ Someone seems to have left their cuddly friend in our 'Rain' exhibition. Recognise them? Let us know! While we wait for octopus to be picked up, we thought we could take little octopus on an adventure... 🐙

A Octopus plushie sitting on top of the entrance banner for the 'Rain' exhibition at the National Library of Scotland.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 07/07/2026

The origin story of Penguin Books has become legend, but what really happened, and how does Agatha Christie fit into it? 🔎 As the legend goes, it all began in the autumn of 1934. Publisher Allen Lane was on a train when he came up with the concept of what would become Penguin Books.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 02/07/2026

Dreich, smirr, smugrach, and everything in between 🌧️ From Burns's 'Tam O'Shanter' to James Hutton's 'Theory of Rain', from artwork by Raasay Primary School to a documentary from 1975, our curator Sarah Mackay explores nine objects that capture how rain has soaked into the nation's imagination.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 01/07/2026

John Francis Campbell of Islay travelled across the Highlands and Islands, recording Gaelic stories, songs, and traditions at a time when they risked being lost. Born on Islay in 1821, he grew up speaking Gaelic with his family's piper.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 25/06/2026

Scotland's national film archive holds 26,000 films – from Clyde shipyards to St Andrews parades. But half are on decaying formats, and time is running out. This year's Annual Appeal is raising funds to digitise and restore them, before they're lost > auth.nls.uk/support-us/w...

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 24/06/2026

250 years ago, one of Scotland's foremost scientists took a close interest in what is arguably our most famous feature: rain ☔ In 1784, the father of modern geology, James Hutton, sketched out the key principles for the "condensation of aqueous vapour contained in the air."

A portrait of James Hutton from the National Gallery of Scotland.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 23/06/2026

Looking for a ticket to Scotland v Brazil? 🎟️⚽ Here's a ticket to our last World Cup match against them in '98, which we keep safe at the National Library in Edinburgh.

A ticket to the 1998 Scotland v Brazil game at the World Cup.

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Reposted by National Library of Scotland

Claire Squires @clairesquires.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Doubled up with RAIN & PAPERBACK REVOLUTIONS exhibitions at @natlibscot.bsky.social this afternoon 📚 ☔️

A section of the RAIN exhibition including a map with rain density of Scotland

Some ladies galoshes and a red umbrella - very Mary Poppins

A sign for the Paperback Revolutions exhibition

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

Did you know that Edinburgh is one of the driest cities in the UK? 🌧️ This 1967 map from our collection shows the variations in rainfall across Scotland, with the west coast getting noticeably more than the east. Come see it in person at our new exhibition, 'Rain', open now! #RainAtNLS

A 1967 Ordnance Survey map of rain fall in Scotland from 1916 to 1950.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

🌧️ Rain drops today! From James Hutton's Theory of Rain to Mackintosh coats, Tam O'Shanter to Daemonologie – explore Scotland's obsession with wet weather in our new exhibition, 'Rain'. 📅 Until 30 April 2027 📌 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh 🎟️ Free entry

A woman runs through the rain holding an umbrella. The rain is a shower of words and letters. The words are Scots, Gaelic, and English phrases to do with rain. It reads: 'Rain. June 2026 to April 2027. George IV Bridge, Edinburgh. Free exhibition, umbrellas optional.'

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 18/06/2026

It's raining men(tions) ️☔👯‍♂️ We're excited that 'Rain' has been in the headlines this week - and not just because of the weather! 🌧️ You might have heard Alison Stevenson, our Head of Collections, Access, and Research, chatting about our new exhibition 'Rain' on BBC Radio 4's Front Row last night...

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

What gets saved from the web – and what disappears? Join us and colleagues at the University of Edinburgh to learn how to hack, preserve, and use digital archives 🖥️ Learn how to: 🔎 See underlying web structures and metadata 🔖 Reshape how web pages display 🗺️ Navigate digital collections

A graphic advertising the event 'Hacking the Archive: browser tools, web preservation, and research'

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

📣 One week left to apply! We are seeking applications for our Scots Scriever residency - and this year, the focus is on Shetland. This is a unique opportunity for a writer to create original work in Shaetlan while championing the language across communities.

The Islands of Shetland by Herman Moll, published 1745

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Why do action epics, horror games, and farming simulators all keep returning to libraries? In our new long read, author Sam Fern takes us on a tour through libraries in videogames, exploring libraries in: 🪝 Tomb Raider: Legend 🦇 Arkham Asylum 🗡️ Assassin's Creed: Mirage 🏰 Skyrim 📚 Animal Crossing

A graphic, designed by Adam Allori, showing different library books that appear in video games.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 01/06/2026

📣 One week left to apply! We’re looking for a Customer Relationship Management Product Manager to lead on developing our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to help us talk (and listen) to our audiences.

Two people sit at a table sharing a laptop.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

📣 Calling all Shetland writers! We are seeking applications for our Scots Scriever residency - and this year, the focus is on Shetland. This is a unique opportunity for a writer to create original work in Shaetlan while championing the language across communities.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 11/05/2026

We've just added #MoreMaps to our website 🗺️ Newly online maps provide detailed coverage of large parts of India as well as the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Burma/Myanmar and Pakistan in the first half of the 20th century. Explore the maps > maps.nls.uk/additions/#201 #India #MapMonday

Detail from Survey of India One-inch to the mile map showing Tangasseri, 1916.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

This #MapMonday, explore this 1730 map of the Forth 🌊 Made by John Adair, the map shows the "River and Frith [sic] of Forth" - perfect for #StarWarsDay! #MayTheForthBeWithYou Explore the map > maps.nls.uk/view/543

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 29/04/2026

Discover Fort William in 1800 with this detailed plan by George Langlands 🏰 The original map is owned by @westhighlandmuseum.bsky.social, who have kindly given permission for it to be shared on our map website. Explore the map > maps.nls.uk/view/270631787

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 27/04/2026

You can discover the world on our maps website 🌎 If you'd like guidance on searching, comparing, printing, and annotating over 400,000 maps, book your place now for our free 'Navigating the Maps Website' webinar. 📆 3-4pm, Wednesday 29 April 📌 Free Book > www.nls.uk/whats-on/nav... #MapMonday

screenshot of National Library of Scotland Map Images Website homepage showing search options

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

Teachers and educators - we have an event for you! 🍎 Join us for a free Twilight Tour of your National Library. Behind the scenes, treasures, and a look at our schools programme. Plus biscuits 🍪 📅 5-6:30pm, Wednesday 29 April 📌 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh 🎟️ Free, book at the link below

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 22/04/2026

What do you do, in 15th-century Scotland, when the household priest behaves badly? If you're Isobel, Countess of Argyll, you might just write a poem about it. A very frank poem 😳

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 21/04/2026

This week is your last chance to see our 'Dear Library' exhibition - and get some knitting inspo 👀

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

This #MapMonday explore historic Linlithgowshire in great detail 🔎 You can now view a georeferenced layer of Ordnance Survey 25-inch mapping from the 1850s on our maps website. Explore the maps > maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/...

Side by side view comparing Bo'ness on historic Ordnance Survey maps from 1855 and 1895

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

Our exhibition Dear Library closes on 25 April. If you haven't yet visited, this is your final chance to experience hundreds of love letters written by visitors to Scotland's libraries – and to leave your own. 💌

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

This clip from 'Island of the Big Cloth' (1971) shows traditional dyeing in the Highlands 🎨 At the beginning of the clip, you can see someone scraping crottle, a type of lichen, directly from rocks.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 08/04/2026

Dear Library Story Sessions are back! This time with a focus on stories for children aged 6 to 10 years old 📚🚀 Come along to hear stories from fantastic, contemporary children's authors. Meet a cast of unique characters, hear about some daring adventures, and be transported to new settings!

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 07/04/2026

The amazing, detailed Ordnance Survey 25-inch 1st edition mapping for Lanarkshire is now available as a georeferenced layer. maps.nls.uk/additions/#197 This allows you compare the 1850s maps with later editions in our Side by Side viewer. maps.nls.uk/geo/explore/... Now on to the next county...

Screenshot showing historic Ordnance Survey mapping for Lanark comparing first and second edition maps in Side by Side viewer

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

Can you spot the bunny in this 1848 zoological map? 🐇 Made by Alexander Keith Johnston, the map shows the distribution of 'rodentia' (animals with a single pair of incisors on the upper and lower jaw) and 'ruminantia' (grazing animals with a specific digestive systems) across the world. #MapMonday

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

Tomorrow, 'Outwith: Valda, MacDiarmid and Whalsay' opens at Shetland Museum and Archives ⭐ This landmark exhibition explores the nine years that poet Hugh MacDiarmid and his wife Valda spent in Whalsay, and how the rugged landscape shaped their lives and work.

Promotional poster for 'Outwith: Valda, MacDairmid and Whalsay'.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 18/03/2026

Now online! Our research review 🔬📜 We have more than 50 research projects under way at any given time at the Library. For a taste of what we do, check out our Research Review 2024–25.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

Our 'Treasures' exhibition is closed and will re-open with a refreshed look and new things to see on Monday 27 April. We can't wait to welcome you back to the new space! In the meantime, the rest of our Visitor Centre remains open, including our cafe, 'Dear Library' exhibition, and shop.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

We are delighted to share that our Scots Scriever, Taylor Dyson, will be hosting 'Untold Stories: Women’s Conversations' at the Webster Memorial Theatre on Friday, 28 March. This free event will celebrate the importance of amplifying unheard voices from Scotland through film, poetry, and speech.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 16/03/2026

This #MapMonday we're heading across the Irish Sea! ☘️ Our newly added OS Six-Inch maps of Ireland were printed around 1860. The 1,940 sheets update the original 1830s surveys, adding railways, new field boundaries, and more detailed place names. 🔗: maps.nls.uk/os/6inch-ire...

A 1860s printing of an OS Six-inch map of Kilkenny, surveyed from 1839 to 1840.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 13/03/2026

Today we're celebrating World Sleep Day by raiding our shelves for fairy tales! But be warned, the path to dreamland isn't always peaceful - especially for one fairy tale princess 🧵👑 Have a look at some depictions of 'Sleeping Beauty' from our collections.

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