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National Library of Scotland

@natlibscot.bsky.social
8.2K followers 825 following 558 posts

Scotland’s living memory. If you can think of it, we probably have it.

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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 4h
And while you're here, have a wander. We've got short reads to browse, a Dolly Parton display, Peter Liversidge's artwork, and an exhibition on the humble paperback. Come for six minutes. Stay for an hour. We won't judge. 📅 Wednesday, 7 October 📌 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh 🎟️ Free, drop-in
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 4h
Did you know that reading for just six minutes can reduce stress? 📖 Join us for the Wee Read this Wednesday! Drop in to hear six minutes of a book read by Library staff in our Rain exhibition. Readings every hour from 10:30am to 4:30pm.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
And for teachers and school librarians, plans are underway for CLPL sessions this December. Interested? Find out more and book a workshop, visit or tour for 2026 to 2027 on our website > www.nls.uk/tools-for-re...
nls.uk
Schools and teachers | National Library of Scotland
Find out about resources and workshops for teachers and students at the National Library of Scotland.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Students can explore historic treasures from our collections, learn about conservation, discover the history of our buildings, and practise independent study in our Discovery Room.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 05/10/2026
Happy World Teacher Day! 🍎 From online workshops that guide Advanced Higher students through using our catalogue for their dissertations, to self-guided visits and staff-led tours, we offer a range of ways to bring the Library into your classroom - or your classroom into the Library.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 01/10/2026
Wondering where to get your coffee this #InternationalCoffeeDay? We have some maps that might be able to help... 🗺️☕ Where do you get your favourite brew from?
Three speciality coffee maps and a world atlas of coffee lie on a table next to a coffee mug.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
🌧️ Read 'Rain on Screen' on our website > www.nls.uk/collections/...
nls.uk
Rain on screen | National Library of Scotland
From Jurassic Park to archive films, discover how rain shapes stories, characters and unforgettable moments on screen.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
Drawing on treasures from our Moving Image Archive and personal reflections, this piece dives into the many meanings in a downpour on screen. It can obscure, reveal, isolate, or actively drive a story forward. Sometimes it simply falls in the background, shaping the mood and atmosphere.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 29/09/2026
From the torrential downpour that washes away Andy Dufresne's old life in 'The Shawshank Redemption', to the joyful puddle-stomping of Gene Kelly in 'Singin' in the Rain', and the terrifying storm that unleashes the T. rex in 'Jurassic Park' - rain is more than just weather on screen.
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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
🔗 Find out more and apply on our website > nls.current-vacancies.com/Careers/nls-...
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Content Designer (maternity cover) – £37,439, fixed-term maternity cover (9 months initially, with the possibility of extension). Develop engaging, accessible and user-centred content across our websites, helping people discover and connect with our collections and services. 📅 Closes: 06/10/26
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 25/09/2026
Content and Analytics Officer – £33,268, permanent. Combine content operations with analytics and insight to elp us understand, improve and maintain the National Library of Scotland's website. 📅 Closes: 06/10/2026
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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
Join our free online workshops to learn tips and techniques for making the best use of them - including how to bring them into other web and desktop applications. 🗓️ 3-4:30pm, Wednesday 30 September 📌 Online 🎟️ Free Book your tickets > www.nls.uk/whats-on/geo...
nls.uk
Using our georeferenced maps | National Library of Scotland
In this interactive workshop, we will show you tips and techniques to help you make best use of our georeferenced maps.
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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
Explore this work on display in our Treasures exhibition.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 22/09/2026
His meticulous observations, brought to life in stunning hand-coloured engravings by Pietro Fabris, changed everything. Published in English and French, these beautiful plates kindled a cultural obsession, cementing Vesuvius as a must-see destination on the Grand Tour.
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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
President Connolly visited our exhibition, saw collections items, and discussed our plans with the national libraries of Ireland, Wales and the British Library for the collaborative project ‘Across these Islands’.
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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
She contacted the Library, and soon she and Katy were reunited with their work – preserved in our collections and now available to view online. Writer Dave Coates tells their story in our new long read > www.nls.uk/collections/...
nls.uk
Mapping memory | National Library of Scotland
Two volunteers revisit their 1960s maps from the Second Land Utilisation Survey, revealing the human stories behind Britain’s land use mapping.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 18/08/2026
They were among thousands of students, teachers, and volunteers who helped document the nation's landscape – often on a shoestring budget, always in sturdy walking shoes. Half a century later, Margaret spotted an article in The Geographer featuring a map with familiar colour-coding.
A close up of one of the maps Margaret and Katy helped make.
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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
His engravings sit at the meeting point of art, maps, and architecture – and they still teach us about Scotland today. Our maps curator Chris Fleet explores how Slezer's work shaped how Scotland was seen, then and now. Read the full story on our website > www.nls.uk/collections/...
nls.uk
John Slezer's Scotland | National Library of Scotland
Explore John Slezer's Theatrum Scotiae (1693), a pioneering collection of engraved views that shaped Scotland's visual identity and sense of place.
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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
If you’re in town, drop in to see our free exhibition and play your favourite rainy track on our record and CD player! 📻️ Listen back to Nick and Amina's chat on BBC Sounds www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/... (tune in from 1:40:02)
bbc.co.uk
Nick Grimshaw - Guests, chat and really good songs - BBC Sounds
Wonderful music to start the day, including the Cloudbusting mix to banish the grey skies.
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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
The artwork lists 19 'rules'. Which is your favourite? Come and see it – or read the full story behind it on our website > www.nls.uk/collections/...
nls.uk
Rewriting the Rules | National Library of Scotland
Artist Peter Liversidge’s new library installation invites visitors to rethink libraries as spaces of trust, curiosity and community.
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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 · 04/08/2026
You can see Orkney and Shetland on the pillar above the stairs! The original map we used had them in boxes a fair bit south of where the islands actually are, so we decided to move them up to the pillar above the stairs, which is a slightly more accurate location and still visible to passers-by.
Rainfall map of Scotland
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 04/08/2026
You can see them on the pillar above the stairs! The original map we used had Orkney and Shetland in boxes a fair bit south of where the islands actually are, so we decided to move them up to the pillar above the stairs, which is a slightly more accurate location and still visible to passers-by.
Rainfall map of Scotland.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
The 12-month Scots Scriever post is funded by Creative Scotland through the National Lottery. White will begin her residency in August 2026. #ScotsScriever #Shaetlan #Shetland #NationalLibraryOfScotland
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
Claire told us: “A’m so very blyde ta hiv bön appointed da Shaetlan Scriever d’year… Wir midder tongue is dear ta mony fock an hit’s winderfil ta see it celebrated trowe dis residency."
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 28/07/2026
As Shetland Scriever, she will create original writing in Shaetlan, explore the richness of the Library's Scots collections, and promote the language in communities across Shetland.
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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.
Claire White stands on a rocky shore.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
Join curator Ann Cameron on a journey through the archive, bringing a century of change into focus. Read the full story on our website > www.nls.uk/collections/...
nls.uk
Kelvin Hall: 100 years on film | National Library of Scotland
Step inside a century of stories from Kelvin Hall in Glasgow through film. From dazzling exhibitions to bold city plans, film has captured our history.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 21/07/2026
From daring cameraman Alf Verne filming the 1925 fire that destroyed the original building, to crowds flocking to the National Co-operative Exhibition of 1928, film has always been central to its story.
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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
Our curator Paula Williams traces Wordie's journey from the ice to the archive on our website > www.nls.uk/collections/...
nls.uk
The life and collection of Sir James Wordie | National Library of Scotland
Read about Sir James Wordie’s polar journeys, academic career and how his book collecting shaped a major Library collection.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 15/07/2026
His private library of polar books was given to the Library in 1959 and forms the heart of our polar collections. Wordie's bookplate appears in most of the volumes in his collection. It reads 'He yt tholis overcomis' - he who endures, overcomes.
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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
Interested? Find out more and apply on our website > www.nls.uk/about-us/job...
White text on a dark blue background reads: 'Apply today! Use the link in the post, or visit our website at www.nls.uk/about-us/jobs-and-opportunities/'
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Director of Collections Management – £77,843, full-time, permanent Lead the teams responsible for cataloguing, conservation, preservation, acquisitions, legal deposit, and collections logistics. 📅 Closes: 02/08/2026
Image of a person returning items from Alasdair Gray's archive to the shelves at the National Library of Scotland with text reading: 'Director of Collections Management'.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Head of Public Programmes – £53,853, full-time, permanent Lead the development and delivery of our public engagement programme – covering exhibitions, events, outreach, and learning. 📅 Closes: 26/07/2026
Image of two people looking into an exhibition case at the National Library of Scotland with text reading: 'Head of Public Programmes'.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Outwith Producer – £48,643 (£29,185 pro rata), part-time (21 hours), temporary contract (23 months) Develop and manage our partnership-led national outreach and engagement programme. 📅 Closes: 23/07/2026
Image of a map jigsaw puzzle at the National Library of Scotland with text reading: 'Outwith Producer'.
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National Library of Scotland @natlibscot.bsky.social · 10/07/2026
Head of Access – £53,853, full-time, permanent Lead the development and delivery of the services and spaces that shape how people access our collections. 📅 Closes: 19/07/2026
Image of the Welcome desk at the National Library of Scotland with text reading: 'Head of Access'.
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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
Then we had to get our reading in! We though we'd start with Sam Usher's children's book 'Rain'! What else should we get up to? 🤔
Octopus plushie sits on a bookshelf next to Sam Usher's book 'Rain'.
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