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More films available to watch online
Over 150 new films are now freely available to view on the Scottish Screen Archive website.
Digitised from the national moving images collection at the National Library of Scotland, these films span the period from 1917 to the 1970s. Among the highlights are:
- 'Gateway to Pleasure: Dunoon and Cowal' (1970s)
- 'Sweet Making at Thomsons' (1948) and 'Making Chocolates' (1954)
- 'Hugh MacDiarmid: A Portrait' (1964), an affectionate portrait of the Scottish poet, made by the film poet Margaret Tait
- 'CO-OP Adverts' (1955-1972)
- 'Glasgow Academy Sports' (1917)
- 'Earl Haig Unveils Peebles War Memorial' (1922)
- 'Communication' (1977), part of the Scottish Health Education Group's 'Teenage Talk-In' series
- Local interest shorts and newsreels made by Ernest Bromberg that were shown at his News Cinema in Aberdeen.
Amateur films are well represented, and include:
- 'Escape to Freedom' (1981), a hard-hitting amateur documentary about Vietnamese refugees in Lanarkshire
- 'Winner Takes All' (1968), a darkly humorous tale from Dalziel Cine Club.
Several new titles have been added to the Films of Scotland collection, such as the Edinburgh Festival documentary 'Edinburgh on Parade' (1970) and 'Sun Pictures' (1965) about photography pioneers Hill and Adamson.
In all, visitors to the Scottish Screen Archive site now can watch more than 1,600 full-length videos and short clips online.
20 September 2013
Scottish Minister launches Gaelic translation of Library catalogue
early Gaelic book in NLS collections. Find
it in the catalogue using shelfmark
Oss.264.
The Minister for Scotland's Languages today officially launched the Gaelic translation of the National Library's main catalogue.
On behalf of the Scottish Government, Dr Alasdair Allan welcomed the development, which provides access to the entire catalogue — almost five million records — in Scots Gaelic.
Translating the catalogue proved to be challenging, particularly because of technical and specialist library terminology. The work was carried out by four members of Library staff and a former teacher of Gaelic.
The translation is evidence of the Library's commitment to promoting the Gaelic language, a commitment spelled out in the NLS Gaelic Language Plan, also launched today.
Read more in our Gaelic translation press release, or read the press release in Gaelic.
See also:
- Overview of rare books in Gaelic / Leabhraichean tearca Gàidhlig
- Early Gaelic books online
- Overview of Gaelic manuscripts in NLS collections
19 September 2013
Tiny books from one of the world's great collections
by Robert Burns, from the
Gleniffer Press.
Miniature printed marvels have gone on display at the National Library of Scotland.
Some of the smallest books in the world are part of the collections at NLS, including a copy of 'Old King Cole' which broke world records in 1985. Printed in Scotland by the Gleniffer Press, at 0.9mm tall it held the title of the world's smallest book for 20 years.
Operating out of Paisley and Wigtown, the Gleniffer Press also produced the first new book of the millennium — a miniature New Testament released at midnight on 31 December 1999.
Other highlights in the free display are small sacred texts, including Bibles and the Qur'an, and other books issued by David Bryce & Son of Glasgow. Bryce was one of the world's most prolific and successful makers of miniature books.
'A tiny universe: Miniature books in Scotland' is open daily from 18 September until 17 November.
Read more in our treasures display press release.
18 September 2013
First Scottish books on display on Flodden anniversary
'The Ballade of Lord Bernard Stewart'
printed in Edinburgh in
or about 1508.
The only known copies of the first books printed in Scotland go on display for a few hours on Monday 9 September.
That date is the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden, the scene of a disastrous defeat for Scotland and the death of King James IV.
In 1507 James was responsible for introducing printing to Scotland by granting Walter Chepman and Androw Myllar a licence to print. Soon afterwards, they set up a printing press in the Cowgate in Edinburgh.
Known as the Chepman and Myllar prints, the surviving books from their press are rarely taken out of the National Library of Scotland's vaults.
To see these treasures from the national collections, visit our George IV Bridge Building on 9 September between 12.00 and 14.00. No need to book.
Read more in the Chepman and Myllar display press release.
5 September 2013
Could you be one of our new Board members?
The Scottish Government has begun recruiting up to seven new members of the Board of the National Library of Scotland.
Board members are responsible for leading the future development of the Library, determining the organisation's strategies, policies and priorities.
Applications are being sought from all parts of Scotland from individuals who have strategic-level experience in one or more specific areas of interest. The posts are for three / four years and are not paid, but travel and subsistence costs are met.
The closing date for applications is 27 September.
Visit the Board recruitment page or read our recruitment press release for more information.
30 August 2013
News archive
Past news stories since September 2002 are available in our news archive.