Info for Users

Code of Service and suggestions

National Library of Scotland staff will work to:

• show courtesy, professionalism and personal commitment
• demonstrate goodwill and readiness to resolve problems or complaints
• provide an efficient and accurate service

The Library contains a comprehensive collection of British publications, built up mainly through legal deposit, complemented by the purchase of foreign, antiquarian and manuscript material.

It is our aim to:

• Make new accessions available to readers within four months of receipt for legal deposit items and as soon as practicable for other classes of material.
• Make our collecting policy documents freely available for public consultation.
• Welcome suggestions for purchase and to provide a prompt acknowledgement and a detailed reply within a month.
• Deliver material from the stacks to readers as quickly as possible and if material is delayed to provide an explanation as soon as possible.
• Respond to external enquiries within five working days. To advise enquirers where a full response will take longer than five working days.
• Acknowledge written suggestions or complaints within one week of receipt.
• Ensure that the Library's buildings are maintained to the highest standards for the comfort and safety of users, and that noise and disruption are minimal.
• Provide an up-to-date range of copying services for printed books in the Modern Collections, including self-service copying, within the limitations imposed by legislation and subject to preservation requirements.
• Fulfil orders for copying from items in the manuscripts, rare books, maps, electronic and music collections with a minimum delay.

If at any time you have suggestions for the improvement of our collections or services, or feel that we have fallen short of these standards, please let us know by e-mailing us at enquiries@nls.uk.

In order that we may respond as quickly as possible, we invite you to use the following procedure:

1. In the first instance, speak to the staff at the public service desks.
2. If the response is not wholly satisfactory, ask to speak to the officer in charge.
3. If you still feel that an adequate response has not been received, write to:

   Mr Martyn Wade
   National Librarian
   National Library of Scotland
   George IV Bridge Edinburgh
   EH1 1EW

   Written comments and suggestions will receive an acknowledgement within one week of receipt.