Annual Review 2021 to 2022
Welcome
I was delighted to take on the role of National Librarian last year, and I'm proud of all we've achieved since then. As pandemic restrictions eased, we increased access to our buildings and collections, all while ensuring people's safety in line with government guidelines. Some of our projects were unavoidably delayed but it was truly amazing to see what we achieved as Covid curbs were lifted.
We launched 'Treasures of the National Library of Scotland' in March – our permanent exhibition which opens a window to the fascinating stories behind the national collections. It features everything from early printed books and video installations to maps, medieval manuscripts, passports and letters. For anyone who cannot make it to Edinburgh, we released a series of short films and podcasts to complement the exhibition – all available on our website.
Throughout 2021 we continued to engage people with online and on-site activities. One highlight from the summer was a series of online events promoting our 'Fresh Ink' initiative – when we invited emerging writers to respond to the year 2020. We commissioned 10 writers out of hundreds of applicants and the results were outstanding. We published the works on our website and added them to our prestigious literary archives, where they will be preserved into perpetuity.
Our events programme continued online although I'm thrilled to say we have now resumed our on-site events and learning programmes.
Our first on-site exhibition following the pandemic lockdowns, 'Petticoats and Pinnacles', opened in July 2021 and told the inspiring story of Scotland's pioneering mountain women. The outstanding content, displays and stories met with highly positive reviews for the entire duration. The exhibition ended in May 2022. Now on show is 'Pen Names' – an intriguing exhibition exploring why some writers prefer to be published under an alias. Those featured include George Eliot, Lewis Grassic Gibbon and Josephine Tey.
The climate crisis is an increasing concern and we have been working hard to play our role in addressing this emergency – including practical efforts at our buildings and providing information to the public. Detailed in this review is the launch of our 'Climate Action Plan', which covers changes to our buildings and practices, as well as our engagement activity. Just before Glasgow hosted the UN COP26 climate summit, we released 'Living Proof: A Climate Story', directed by our own Dr Emily Munro and using archive footage from our collections. As restrictions eased, the film was screened at venues throughout Scotland.
We also took part in a UK-wide fundraising effort to save national literary treasures from falling back into private hands. Led by the Friends of the National Libraries, we secured the funds to purchase what is now known as the Blavatnik Honresfield Library. Together with our Scottish partners Abbotsford and the National Trust for Scotland, we are thrilled that this generous support has enabled works of such huge cultural importance from Scotland's most iconic writers to be saved. These include works by Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott.
Throughout the year we have had many staff changes, with some people retiring to start a new chapter and others joining us in a variety of roles. Sir Drummond Bone was appointed Chair of the National Library of Scotland and we are thrilled to have someone with such rich leadership experience and expertise head our Board. We also welcomed three new board members – Alison Kidd, Robert Kilpatrick and Kirsty Lingstadt. Their collective experience is most welcome.
I have mentioned a few highlights of the past year but there are many more important projects and initiatives under way to ensure that we collect, protect and share our collections.
I could not end without thanking our talented team of staff and, of course, our donors, patrons and supporters who help make our work happen, grow and continue through their support.
Amina Shah
National Librarian and Chief Executive
Safeguarding collections
Acquisitions
'Chronicle of Fortingall', 1554–1579
This highly significant manuscript – which we acquired at auction in May 2021 – was compiled in Fortingall, Perthshire, in the Middle Ages and contains annals, poetry and short texts in Latin, Scots and Gaelic. It is also an important source for the history of the Highlands. The scribes of the manuscript belonged to the MacGregor family, who also compiled the 'Book of Dean of Lismore' – the earliest surviving collection of Gaelic poetry compiled in Scotland.
The 'Chronicle of Fortingall' is a significant addition to our Scottish Gaelic manuscripts collection, which is the largest in the world. Securing this document for the national collections means we can make the contents publicly accessible and ensure its preservation. This acquisition was made possible with generous support from the Friends of the National Libraries, the Magnus and Janet Soutar Trust, the B.H. Breslauer Foundation and the Leckie Family Charitable Trust.
'Perdendosi', by Edinburgh photographer Norman McBeath
We bought one of a limited edition of 25 portfolios featuring McBeath's series called 'Perdendosi' – named after a musical term which describes a gradual dying away of sound.
During lockdown, McBeath started taking photographs of dying leaves he found in and around Edinburgh and shared them with poet Edmund de Waal, who wrote personal responses to the images. The work demonstrates the high production values of its publisher, Easel Press. It is printed on individual 308gsm Hahnemuhle Matt Fine Art Smooth Photo Rag and in Sem Hartz's Juliana typeface, set by Dalrymple
Accounts of First World War nurses
Two books from the First World War, both compiled by nurses serving at Scottish hospitals, have been added to our collections.
The first, by Margaret Adair Duncan, a nurse at Bangour Military Hospital in West Lothian, was donated by her daughter. The other, by Rose Willison, a nurse at Stobhill Hospital in north Glasgow, was acquired from a bookseller in Canada.
Through sketches, poems and dedications, these autobiographical works offer a view of the life of young nurses during this period and complement our existing First World War archival collections, which predominately depict the male experience.
Annotated photograph albums of the rock climbing and mountaineering activities of Harry MacRobert, 1898–1945
These albums were donated to us in November 2021 and offer insight into climbing in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, detailing the activity itself, clothing and equipment involved – and the joy and hardships of the sport. The albums record climbs in Scotland, England, Wales and the Alps.
Dance club ephemera
As Scotland's national Library, we are also a legal deposit library – one of six libraries with the right to request a copy of any book (or pamphlet, magazine, newspaper, map, etcetera) published in the UK and Ireland. However, some items can still slip through the net and we identified a gap when it comes to nightclub culture in Scotland, particularly the rave and electronic dance music club scene.
We have now acquired more than 300 flyers and posters that document the scene from the mid-1990s. Apart from the information and interesting use of graphics provided, this acquisition also fills a genuine gap in our collections that speaks to an important sociological moment in recent Scottish culture.
'Psalms of David in meeter', Edinburgh: Andro Anderson, 1667 (image No.3)
Andro Anderson was Printer to the Town and College of Edinburgh and King's Printer when he produced two editions of the Psalms in 1667. Only one edition, printed by "A A for J Miller", had been known until now. This is the only known copy of the other, unrecorded edition, which spells out the printer's name in full. This is not a reissue with a different title page, but a different edition altogether. This tiny book measures only 9.5cm by 5cm and has a green and white glass beadwork wrapper, indicating that it probably meant a lot to its owner. However, the printing is older than the binding.
Illustrated manuscript of a coastal survey of the North Coast of Scotland
This survey was undertaken by Captain Henry Charles Otter, R N, in 1844 and describes in detail the coastline from Thurso to Cape Wrath.
In addition to advising on safe anchorages and prevailing winds, Otter notes the local land, economy, and wildlife – "wild fowl in great numbers ... it abounds in Trout and Pike". This detail allows for insight into communities in the north of Scotland during the 19th century. The volume also includes four beautiful pencil and watercolour illustrations of the coastline and surrounding area.
Charlotte Lennox, 'Shakespear Illustrated: or the Novels and Histories, on which the Plays of Shakespear Are Founded', London
Charlotte Lennox, née Ramsay (circa 1730–4 January 1804), was a Scottish novelist, playwright and poet who is best known as the author of 'The Female Quixote' and for her association with some of the leading male literary figures of the 18th century.
Her investigation into the sources of Shakespeare's plays is seen by many scholars as the first feminist work of literary criticism and is recognised as a milestone in the historical interpretation of vernacular literature. Her main criticism is that his plays strip female characters of their original authority.
Two volumes were published, anonymously, in 1753, with a companion volume published in 1754.
Thank you for helping us bring the Bards home
We were delighted to play a part – together with many literary organisations across the UK, including the National Trust for Scotland and Abbotsford – to save the enigmatic Honresfield Library from being parcelled off and sold into private hands.
After an ambitious fundraising campaign to raise £15 million, led by the Friends of the National Libraries (FNL), the purchase was completed at the end of 2021. Since then we have been working with Sotheby's and the consortium to arrange the distribution of the items to their final homes in institutions across the UK. We wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge the tremendous generosity of the FNL and the many patrons, trusts, supporters and readers who donated to our 'Bring the Bards Home' appeal, including supporters overseas, in particular in the US.
Acknowledging the generous lead donation from the Blavatnik Family Foundation to the FNL's campaign, the collection is now called the Blavatnik Honresfield Library. It is a treasure trove of items unseen by the public for almost a century – comprising of priceless manuscripts, rare editions and irreplaceable letters by some of the world's most renowned authors. Key items relating to Scotland include Robert Burns's 'First Commonplace Book', which contains some of his earliest recorded literary works in his own hand, as well as individual autograph poems ('Cessnock Bank' and the 'Brigs of Ayr') and some of the poet's earliest correspondence, including the only extant letter to his beloved father.
Other Scottish material of huge importance is the complete working manuscript of Sir Walter Scott's iconic novel 'Rob Roy', part of the autographed manuscript of Scott's verse romance, 'The Lay of the Last Minstrel', his travel journal of an expedition off the Scottish coast in 1814, a copy of 'Border Antiquities' with extensive manuscript revisions, and an exceptional group of Scott editions in their original condition.
The Honresfield Library was created towards the end of the 19th century by William Law (1836–1901), a Rochdale mill owner who created an exceptional collection of English and Scottish manuscripts and printed books which had the Brontës at its heart, as well as manuscripts in the hands of Jane Austen, Robert Burns and Sir Walter Scott, plus a significant collection of printed books. The collection changed hands several times and was thought lost. Only a few scholars have seen it over the past 80 years and it has been largely inaccessible in that time.
When the Honresfield Library came up for sale in 2021, it was feared that the collection would be split up and sold overseas, and back into private hands. But thanks to the support of thousands of individuals, trusts and grant givers, it has been saved for the public.
'Rob Roy', along with dozens of letters and early printed editions relating to Scott, will be owned by and housed at the Library. Many letters in Burns's hand will also come to us, as will his 'First Commonplace Book'. This will be jointly owned with the National Trust for Scotland. We are also getting a first edition of 'Robinson Crusoe', a first edition of Francis Bacon's essays and works by Mary Wollstonecraft.
At the time of writing, we have yet to receive the items, but we are greatly looking forward to doing so. In the coming months there will be plenty of work taking place behind the scenes, from conservation and cataloguing to digitisation, and planning for engagement activities. We look forward to sharing our plans or public viewing of the star items.
Treasure trove
Our new permanent exhibition, 'Treasures of the National Library of Scotland', has been a mammoth undertaking and labour of love – but the results speak for themselves. This innovative, interactive exhibition offers visitors unique and engaging insights into Scotland's history, culture and people.
'Treasures of the National Library of Scotland' is one of the most ambitious, impressive and interactive exhibitions we have ever staged – a showcase of the exquisite national treasures that form our collections.
From a complete copy of the 15th-century Gutenberg Bible – one of only 48 known to exist – to a love letter by Robert Burns featuring 'Ae Fond Kiss', a handwritten letter by Charles Darwin and one of the earliest colour films made in Scotland, 'Treasures' provides a unique and fascinating insight into Scotland's history, culture and people – and the nation's place in the world.
The Library is the keeper of the national memory, so preserving and protecting the ideas and innovation, creativity and social change from the past and present is a priority. 'Treasures' – which opened on 25 March 2022 – spans centuries of examples of the inventiveness, imagination and ingenuity of Scotland and all of the people who live here. The installation of the exhibition has been a collective achievement for us – and a first in terms of scale and ambition.
With a five-year display cycle and regularly rotating exhibits, 'Treasures' is unlike any of our other exhibitions. It is also a celebration of all we can achieve when we work collaboratively. As well as the rare books and letters, medieval manuscripts, maps and early sound and film on display, the exhibition also features new work, thanks to a partnership with Neu! Reekie! creatives. Artists involved include Kapka Kassabova, Harry Josephine Giles, Hannah Lavery, David Kinloch, George Gunn, Kevin Williamson, Meg Bateman, Miriam Gamble, Emma Pollock, Nadine Aisha Jassat and Mark Cousins. They responded to the exhibits by creating poetry, prose, song and film, with their work displayed in an interactive space as part of the exhibition. Films about each artist and their process can be viewed at nls.uk/treasures/neu-treasures.
Through establishing such relationships with key cultural partners and communities in Edinburgh and Scotland, we hope that 'Treasures' will help to extend our reach and welcome new audiences to enjoy our spaces, services and collections.
To mark the opening of 'Treasures', we released a special series of podcasts, hosted by broadcaster and comedian Julia Sutherland, in which we asked some of Scotland's national treasures to discuss their favourite items from the exhibition. In the episodes, our guests reveal why they found certain objects, collections and artefacts so fascinating. They also explore the historical significance of the items to the country, and how that resonates with them personally.
The episodes feature guests including broadcaster Grant Stott, comedian and 'Still Game' star Sanjeev Kohli, former Makar and poet Liz Lochhead, writer and broadcaster Damian Barr and former Scotland international footballer Leanne Crichton.
Grant tells how, as a music lover, he appreciates the wax cylinders, while Sanjeev is impressed the "special" plan of the Battle of Culloden and our copy of the Gutenberg Bible, describing it as representing "the start of the information age".
Liz tells how she grew up reading the works of Robert Burns, so is thrilled to see the handwritten manuscript of 'Ae Fond Kiss', describing it as "probably the most romantic song ever written".
You can listen to the podcast episodes at nls.uk/treasures/podcast.
Highlights of the exhibition
Robert Burns's 'Ae Fond Kiss' letter' – Ae Fond Kiss' is one of the best-known love songs by Burns (1759–1796) and is included in this heartfelt, handwritten love letter to Mrs Agnes Maclehose (1758–1841) – the 'Nancy' of his poem. We are among the world's leading collectors of Burns books and manuscripts.
The Iona Psalter – This medieval masterpiece is truly exquisite. The highly decorated, devotional text is believed to have been made for Bethóc, the first Prioress of Iona, in the 13th century. It is believed to have been compiled in Oxford, which was a hub for manuscript production in the Middle Ages. Iona is considered the birthplace of Christianity in Scotland, after the arrival of St Columba on the island from Ireland in 563.
Darwin's letter – This handwritten letter from Charles Darwin (1809–1882) to his publisher John Murray outlines the chapters of 'On the Origin of Species' – Darwin's ground-breaking theory of evolution, which was published in 1859.
Gutenberg Bible – Named after German Johannes Gutenberg (circa 1400–1486), who invented the first printing press in Europe that used moveable metal type, this Latin Bible was completed around 1455. A fascinating story is told through the Bible's detailed, ornate illuminations, which include mythical beasts, prophets, towers and abstract art.
Wax cylinder recording of 'Cradle Song Medley' – Wax cylinders were developed in the 1870s – the earliest commercial medium for recording and reproducing sound. This example, dating from around 1909, was recorded by 'Strathspey King' James Scott Skinner, one of Scotland's most famous fiddle players, who exemplifies the music traditions of the North-East.
Archive of Isobel Wylie Hutchison – The trailblazing Scots explorer and botanist shunned the conventions and expectations of society by setting off to explore the world's most rough and ruthless terrains – and doing so solo. Between 1927 and 1936, Hutchison (1889–1982) travelled across Greenland, the northern coast of Alaska and Arctic Canada, describing the beauty of what she saw in poems, prose and paintings. She also filmed some of the earliest documentary footage.
Pont map – Pioneering mapmaker Timothy Pont (circa 1565–1614) created the first detailed maps of Scotland between 1583 and 1614. His maps became the prominent source material for Scotland's first atlas, produced by Joan Blaeu (1596–1673) in Amsterdam in 1654. The map shows the Clyde and Forth rivers, and prominent towns named include Stirling and Falkirk.
Wheel bookbinding – Wheel and herringbone bindings are two of Scotland's most distinctive bookbinding styles. The wheel style came into use by the mid-1720s and was based on the fan shape that was popular in European bindings at that time. Bookbindings of the 17th and 18th centuries feature gold leaf on leather, often with intricate patterns – and these are of exquisite quality.
With special thanks to funders the Garfield Weston Foundation, the Hugh Fraser Foundation, Sir Boyd Tunnock, Dr Jeffrey Jay, Michael A Lampert.
Conservation and digitisation
Unlocking Our Sound Heritage
This project, which was based at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, involved digitising at-risk audio recordings, cataloguing them and aiming to clear rights for online access and reuse. Engagement activities raised the profile of sound archives with both public and professional audiences.
The project team preserved access to more than 8,000 recordings from 15 organisations across Scotland, which had been inaccessible due to the fragility of the format and age of the playback equipment. We invited new audiences to listen to and be inspired by the recordings, establishing a tangible and relevant connection between people and their heritage through sounds.
Google Books project
We entered a partnership with Google in November 2019 to allow Library collections to be digitised at their scanning centre in Munich. This project had been delayed by Covid and Brexit but the first shipment is under way. The partnership will deliver free online access to 100,000 pre-1900 books and provides the equivalent value of £3 million of in-house digitisation work.
Data Security
We have been certified by CoreTrustSeal – a certification that promotes sustainable and trustworthy data infrastructures – and we are now internationally recognised as a Trustworthy Data Repository. Certification gives users and depositors confidence that we are a responsible custodian of digital objects. One reviewer said the Library's submission was "one of the best applications I have ever read".
Creating better access to our digital collections
The Digital Asset Management System (DAMS) project is improving the way we collect, safeguard and provide access to digital collections and archived business records. We concluded a benchmarking phase against international organisations in spring 2021. In October we formed a five-person, cross-functional team to develop the DAMS project.
The year in numbers
2,030,789 additions to our collections
44,993 hidden collections catalogued
26,740 items from our collections digitised
116,564 bibliographic records created
505,134 records upgraded for ease of access
14,000 exhibition visitors
20,000 reading room visits
6.5 to 7 million website users
44 online events
3,381 attended online events from 74 countries
Improving access
Library's catalogue now searchable in Gaelic
Our search service – Library Search – is now available to use in Gaelic. The translated search service – Lorgaire Leabharlainn – has incorporated several hundred terms and phrases to allow Gaelic speakers to navigate the Library's catalogues in their chosen language.
Library Search brings together, in a single search, details of our printed, manuscript and archive, moving image, and digital collections, as well as e-resources and databases from a range of publishers.
The Library's Associate Director of Digital, Gill Hamilton, said: “We are pleased to make our Library Search service available in Gaelic. We hope it will make a significant contribution to the sustainability of the Gaelic language and the esteem in which it is held.
"This builds upon our long history of collecting, preserving and promoting our Gaelic collections. We are proud to hold what we believe is the largest collection of Gaelic material in the world, and so it makes sense that people should be able to navigate our online search facility in that language."
The translation of Library Search was made possible by a grant from Bòrd na Gàidhlig's Gaelic Language Act Implementation Fund.
Shona MacLennan, CEO, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, said: "This is a hugely welcome development by the National Library of Scotland, which holds many resources used frequently by Gaelic speakers and researchers.
"The provision of a search service in Gaelic will greatly contribute to the National Gaelic Language Plan aim that more people use Gaelic more often and in a wider range of situations."
Catalog na Leabharlainn Nàiseanta a-nis ri fhaighinn sa Ghàidhlig
Tha seirbheis-luirg Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba – Library Search – a-nis ri fhaighinn ann an Gàidhlig. Tha an t-seirbheisluirg eadar-theangaichte – Lorgaire Leabharlainn – air grunn cheudan fhaclan is abairtean a ghabhail a-steach airson leigeil le luchd-labhairt na Gàidhlig rùrach tro chatalogan na Leabharlainn anns a' chànan aca fhèin.
Tha Lorgaire Leabharlainn a' toirt cruinn còmhla, ann an aon lorg, fiosrachadh mu na cruinneachaidhean clò-bhuailte, làmhsgrìobhainne is tasglainn, deilbh ghluasadach agus didseatach aig an Leabharlann, a bharrachd air goireasan-dealain agus stòran-dàta bho iomadh foillsichear.
Thuirt Gill Hamilton, Co-stiùiriche Eadar-amail Didseatach, Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba: "Tha sinn toilichte ar seirbheis Library Search fhoillseachadh ann an Gàidhlig.
"Tha sinn an dòchas gun cuir i gu mòr ri seasmhachd na Gàidhlig ann an dòigh a tha brìgheil, agus ris an spèis a th' ann dhi.
"Tha seo a' togail air an eachdraidh fhada againn de bhith a' cruinneachadh, a' glèidheadh agus a' brosnachadh nan cruinneachaidhean Gàidhlig againn. Tha sinn moiteil gur ann againne, nar beachd, a tha a' chruinneachadh as motha san t-saoghal de stuth anns a' Ghàidhlig, agus mar sin, tha e a' dèanamh ciall gum biodh e comasach do dhaoine an goireasluirg air-loidhne againn a chleachdadh sa chànan fhèin."
Chaidh an eadar-theangachadh de Lorgaire Leabharlainn a chur an comas le tabhartas bho Mhaoin Buileachaidh Achd na Gàidhlig (GLAIF) aig Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
Thuirt Shona NicIllInnein, Cathraiche, Bòrd na Gàidhlig: “Tha sin a' cur fàilte chridheil air a' ghluasad seo le Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba, aig a bheil mòran ghoireasan a bhios luchd-labhairt agus luchd-rannsachaidh Gàidhlig a' cleachdadh gu tric is minig.
"Cuiridh seirbheis-luirg sa Ghàidhlig gu mòr ri amas Plana Nàiseanta na Gàidhlig gum bi barrachd dhaoine a' cleachdadh na Gàidhlig nas trice agus ann am barrachd shuidheachaidhean."
Digital Collections
Over the past year we have digitised more than 26,700 items from our collections, ranging from videos, films and sound recordings at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, to books, manuscripts, photographs and maps in Edinburgh.
Maps
This year we completed a significant long-term objective – to scan and put online all our single-sheet maps of Scotland (131,000 maps in total). Our online Scottish map coverage now spans more than 400 years and includes complete sets of all our various map series.
We next moved on to scan very detailed Ordnance Survey Victorian town plans of England and Wales (more than 10,000 maps covering 400 towns). These were the most detailed maps ever surveyed by Ordnance Survey of these towns and are excellent for local and family history.
Europeana Sport
We have been a partner for more than a year on the Europeana Sport project, with 10 other cultural heritage bodies from across Europe. This was primarily a digitisation project, but new writing has been added and website visitors have been encouraged to add their own content. We identified digitised sport content from the Moving Image collections to upload, with 166 films adding great value to the project. We also identified 236 books, pamphlets and leaflets for new digitisation.
A sportswriter, Dr Irene Reid, joined our team and engaged with Scottish Disability Sport and Street Soccer Scotland. Working with sportspeople from those organisations, we added six stories to the platform about the positive impact of sport on their lives. The project was funded by the European Foundation and has now ended.
You can view the results at europeana.eu/en/sport.
Moving Image
We pushed ahead on digitisation from our Moving Image Archive at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, capturing more than 2,600 items.
Highlights of the year included digitally preserving vinegar-affected film and prioritising deaf heritage material from various formats for preservation.
We released 583 titles online for the first time, from the 'Crowning of the Peebles Beltane Queen' (1926) to a video about Barrhead Women's Centre (1999).
Map transcription projects
We are extremely grateful to several hundred enthusiastic volunteers who worked with us to transcribe names and features from our historic maps. Over four months, more than 60,000 names and 50,000 footpaths were successfully recorded.
Through these new collaborative initiatives, we now have a detailed gazetteer of Edinburgh streets and urban features (1890s). Of great value for local and family historians as well as for machine-learning, we have recorded all the names from the famous Roy Military Survey map of Scotland (1747–55). We also now know the routes of footpaths and tracks across Scotland from a century ago, which will be of great value in assisting ScotWays in safeguarding rights of way today.
This new way of working with the people who use our collections is something we want to take forward. We are grateful to Iain Allan, who funded the Community Data Harvester and coordinated this work.
'Lyon in Mourning' partnership
We partnered with Canada's Simon Fraser University in November 2021 to digitise, research and promote the manuscript 'Lyon in Mourning' – Robert Forbes's collection of accounts of the 1745 Jacobite rising and rebellion.
The manuscript includes Forbes's collection of interviews, letters and first-hand accounts of the rising and eventual defeat and exile of Charles Edward Stuart. These have also been digitised and will shortly be published online, along with supporting tools and transcriptions.
We produced a recorded talk by Simon Fraser's Dr Leith Davis, titled 'Networking Jacobites and 'The Lyon in Mourning' Manuscript of Robert Forbes'. It examines the context and content of the manuscript and presents results from the 'Networking Jacobites' project, a Digital Humanities collaboration between the Library and Simon Fraser University's Centre for Scottish Map transcription projects Studies. In addition, Manuscripts Curator Dr Ralph McLean delivered an online talk – the 'St Andrews and Caledonian Lecture 2021' – which explored our archival resources and how they could be used to support research and improve access to Jacobite materials held at the Library.
Visualisers aid virtual access
In 2021 we bought two new visualisers to pilot a virtual reading room service. This was to help us widen access to the collections, including to people around the world.
One is a large ceiling-mounted visualiser located in our Maps Reading Room at Causewayside in Edinburgh. We have used this larger visualiser to relay images from a large atlas (which could not be scanned) to a reader in California. We also used it to show our maps to a family history group based in Queensland, Australia.
The smaller, portable desktop visualiser is kept at our reading rooms at George IV Bridge. This enabled us to facilitate access to manuscripts and rare books for readers in Hong Kong, Australia, the USA and France, who were unable to visit Edinburgh due to Covid travel restrictions.
We will continue to explore ways to increase access to our collections using this exciting technology. This purchase was made possible by a donation from the Stichting Teuntje Anna (TA Fund).
Digitisation – medieval manuscripts, funded by Mr Alexander Graham
At the end of 2021, more than 240 unique medieval and early modern manuscripts were added to our website. Although the collection is international in origin, it includes a substantial number of Scottish medieval manuscripts, which we are particularly pleased to make widely available. The project was made possible by a generous donation from Mr Alexander Graham. You can view the collection online at digital.nls.uk/early-manuscripts.
High praise from a self-described 'amateur genealogist'
"Warm greetings from New Jersey, US. Since my retirement five years ago I have taken on, with abounding enthusiasm, the genealogical work started by my father, who passed away in 2008. I still consider myself an amateur genealogist but am doing my best to undertake careful and considerate research.
"My father, who married a Frissell in 1942, was always very Mayflowercentric in his genealogical research – a focus that kept him climbing the paternal branches of our family tree. I, however, decided to explore my mother's side, which has led me to learn about the considerable history of Clan Fraser.
"Of special interest to me has been two ancestors – James Fraser [Frizzell] and Philip McIntire – who, to the best of my knowledge, were engaged in the 1650 Battle of Dunbar and were subsequently sold, as prisoners of war, into indentured servitude in Massachusetts, U.S.
"My research led me to a discovery of your Library's online resources, which I consider nothing short of a gold mine. I especially appreciate that you've made it possible to capture a customised selection of pages, rather than requiring the download of entire volumes.
"I'm writing this to express my deepest appreciation for your efforts in making online resources so accessible. I'm thrilled to have discovered your website and anticipate spending a great deal of my future years browsing through your amazing virtual collections.
"If I'm ever fortunate enough to be able to visit Scotland, I'll make it a point to visit you in person. Please keep up your excellent work!" – Bill Woolley.
This year's intake includes:
Total intake: 2,030,789
eBooks: 128,895
eJournal articles: 1,695,256
Books: 50,949
Serial issues: 93,698
Newspapers: 26,095
Maps: 1,089
Other: 34,807
Supporting learning, research and discovery
Conservation science project
Dr Sara Öberg Strådal and Dr Flavia Fiorillo from The Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge visited us in July 2021 to undertake non-invasive scientific analysis to our copy of Peter Apian's 'Astronomicum Caesareum' (1540).
They compared the types of pigments and colourants used for the decorations of the illustrated pages and volvelles in the Fitzwilliam and Library volumes. Highlighting differences in colour application techniques and use of materials provides an invaluable way to understand Apian, and early printed books in general, plus workshop printing practices and processes. By compiling a list of pigments and colourants used in the volumes, the study also contributes to outlining the colour palette used in 16th-century printed volumes – an unexplored area of study with important implications for conservators, heritage scientists, curators and book historians.
The use of non-invasive and non-destructive diagnostic analysis in the study will also help contextualise the production, diffusion and ownership of both copies.
'Fresh Ink' – supporting new writing
To support artists and provide a platform for the diverse voices that make up 21st-century Scotland, we invited emerging writers to respond to the year 2020 as part of our 'Fresh Ink' initiative.
Ten writers were awarded £1,000 to develop work which was then added to our literary archives. Responses encapsulated the personal and the political, the private and the public, the sadness and isolation of lockdown, but also those new and different moments of contact and empathy. The series of 10 brilliant evocations of living through a time of unique change illuminate, challenge, comfort and intrigue. During the online launch event, hosted by poet and creative practitioner Nadine Aisha Jassat, the writers spoke passionately about their work and experience of creating the commissions.
Thanks to the supporters of our 2020 New Writing Appeal who made initiatives such as this happen.
Survivor Arts project
We collaborated with Glasgow-based charity the Survivor Arts Community to develop a six-week online project inspired by the collections in our 'Petticoats and Pinnacles' exhibition. The charity supports the artistic practices of survivors of sexual violence and domestic abuse.
The group took inspiration from the themes and women highlighted in the exhibition about Scotland's pioneering mountain women – such as Jane Duncan, who was the first European woman to travel through the Chang La, Ladakh; rock climber Jane Inglis Clark; and botanist and explorer Isobel Wylie Hutchison, who is also highlighted in the 'Treasures of the National Library of Scotland' exhibition.
Survivor Arts participants worked with different techniques, such as creative writing, visual art and animation
MacKinnon outreach project
We commissioned freelance artists Morwenna Kearsley and Ashley Mackenzie-White to develop and deliver a programme of outreach workshops – focusing on the MacKinnon Collection of photographs – for schools and communities. Sessions were inspired by postcards and images in the archive and participants were supported by the artists to create their own images and learn about photographic techniques. Workshops were held in Shetland, Fittie, Ullapool, Perth, Skye and Plockton.
'Library Social'
The monthly social programme of events for people affected by dementia continued online until April 2022.
Themes for these relaxed sessions have included Scottish myths and legends, poet George Mackay Brown, seasonal songs and poems and a virtual tour of the Old Town, following in the footsteps of town planner Patrick Geddes. The regular sessions have continued to support those living with dementia and their families and carers.
Focusing on a greener future
The evidence is clear – there is future a global climate crisis and the problem is not going away. The effects of climate change are being felt around the world, with raging wildfires, flooding and stronger and more frequent hurricanes.
The natural world has suffered biodiversity collapse, ecosystem loss and species extinction. Our food security, water supply and homes are all under threat in our warming world. Scotland is not immune. We have seen soaring temperatures, record rainfall and coastal erosion – the latter putting at risk many of our heritage sites.
However, more and more people are calling for bolder action by governments, businesses and organisations. Collective efforts and movements to tackle this crisis are growing. Here is how we are playing our part to help ...
The road to net zero… our efforts to be more sustainable
Our 'Climate Action Plan 2021–2025' outlines our path to becoming a more sustainable organisation. As a public body, we have a responsibility to ensure that our estate is as efficient, resilient and sustainable as possible, in line with Scotland's target to become net zero by 2045.
Our 'Climate Action Plan' will ensure that sustainability is considered in all aspects of our operations, from waste management to procurement policies. The positive, practical steps we are taking include aiming for a 72.5 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2025 and to recycle 70 per cent of our waste. We intend to cut the amount sent to landfill to 5 per cent and to fully decarbonise our fleet by 2025.
You can read our 'Climate Action Plan' on our climate resources webpage. Our thanks to Climate intern Henry Roberts, who helped work on the plan.
Our green ambitions go beyond our own buildings and estate. We have a wealth of information in our collections, giving us opportunities to help shape the national climate conversation – and ensure that conversation is inclusive and far-reaching. In doing so, we can help educate people of all ages and build resilience in communities as the effects of the climate crisis continue to become evident. We will continue to incorporate climate change engagement into our public programming in the coming years, ensuring that information is available to all and is presented in such a way that it can be understood by everyone from schoolchildren to PhD candidates. As well as providing journals and books on the science of climate change and related social issues, we are engaging with people in other ways.
This has included the launch in September 2021 of the film 'Living Proof: A Climate Story'. The film is a compilation of footage from our Moving Image Archive and explores Scotland's relationship with its industrial past and the connections to this modern emergency. More information about the film is available on page 22. Film, sound, maps and the written word can all help us to understand the complex climate crises and how we can help.
Working together to tackle climate crisis
We are working with a range of organisations to promote the power of the culture sector to help fight the climate crisis.
We are a member of the Climate Heritage Network, an international collective of organisations whose supporters are committed to mobilising arts, culture and heritage to address climate change and support communities.
We also began to explore how our own collections can support Scotland's adaptation and resilience to climate change. Much of this work was focused on the UN COP26 climate summit, which was held in Glasgow in November 2021. As part of this, we published a blog series, 'Our Collections and the Climate Crisis', and developed 'Preserving Pasts, Imagining Futures' for the Google Arts and Culture platform – a collection of images from our collections that highlight the climate crisis. More information about this is on page 22. We collaborated with National Galleries Scotland to invite people to respond creatively to such images and visualise how Scotland has been, and will continue to be, affected by climate change. Learn more at blog.nls.uk/tag/climate-change.
For COP26 we also delivered workshops, including 'Exploring the Climate Crisis', which demonstrated how people can use our collections to learn more about climate change, organise a campaign, or discover climate fiction (cli-fi). Additional sessions will be offered to schools and community groups.
We partnered with Creative Carbon Scotland and other national agencies and cultural institutions to produce a short film, 'Climate Action Needs Culture', which premiered for COP26. The film focuses on the role of culture and cultural heritage in responding to the climate crisis. This group also organised a discussion event, 'Is Culture the Untapped Ally for Climate Policy?', as part of the 'Scotland's Climate Ambition Zone' programme. This featured Helen Vincent, the Library's Head of Rare Books, Maps and Music, talking about the role of libraries.
'Climate Action' resources
Having access to information about the climate crisis – and learning how we can help tackle this emergency – is more important than ever. Our many sources of such information include eResources – millions of pages of journals, reports, newspapers and databases. These eResources include 'Climate Change and Law', a collection of material from organisations worldwide focusing on the implications of climate change on human rights and laws. There is also GreenFILE, a database of nearly 300,000 records covering environmental concerns. All of our eResources can be accessed by our members.
The 'Preserving Pasts, Imagining Futures' feature (pictured top) on the Google Arts and Culture platform offers information on rising sea levels, snow melt, energy and agriculture, while our online map collections can be used to illustrate and understand climate change in a number of ways. Visit nls.uk and search for 'Researching Climate Change with our Maps'.
Our 'Climate Action' resources at nls.uk/climate-action/ also offer access to reference material, webinars and video. Our full range of resources is available at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow or at our Edinburgh reading rooms.
Looking through the lens
The feature-length archive documentary, 'Living Proof: A Climate Story', focuses on Scotland's role in contributing to climate change. The documentary (inset) was directed by Dr Emily Munro, a Learning and Outreach Officer at the Library. 'Living Proof' features footage from our Moving Image Archive and explores Scotland's relationship to its post-war industrial past and the connection to the ongoing global climate emergency.
More than 80 films are included in the documentary, such as wartime propaganda and educational, amateur and corporate public relations footage. We funded the project with Film Hub Scotland and the film was produced during the pandemic, with Dr Munro researching and editing at home, with assistance from colleagues online. Critics described 'Living Proof' as "a unique take on environmental history” and “an inventively told and textured portrait of Scotland".
Edinburgh College of Art student project
This annual project with first-year illustration students from Edinburgh College of Art focused on our collection of broadsides. The students visited the Library to learn more about the broadsides – a type of popular press street literature – and experimented with linocut techniques to create images inspired by the stories and early printed illustrations.
'Archive of Tomorrow'
A partnership led by the Library has secured £230,958 in funding from the Wellcome Trust to preserve a substantive collection of UK web resources about health, building on the work of the 'UK Web Archive Coronavirus (Covid-19) Collection'.
Clinical advice, data and scientific evidence have been contested, revised, used and misused, with dramatic and sometimes tragic consequences, yet the digital record of this is fragile and difficult to access. Our aim is to preserve this debate ethically and responsibly.
Libraries and archives have always tried to collect the stories of our times, and this is more important than ever when information is a matter of life and death. The 'Archive of Tomorrow' project aims to help make sense of events of the past two years and to promote and improve people's ability to use web archives to understand and explore health discourse online.
We started the project in February 2022 and it will run for around 14 months, preserving a broad spectrum of web-based resources related to health. We will form a collection within the UK Web Archive, which will give people access to a wide representation of diverse online sources. We're working in partnership with the University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh and the University of Oxford, as well as the British Library. We're building an international network of expertise and investigation, including researchers from different fields and organisations. We will use the new collection to experiment with options for metadata, computational analysis, ethics and rights issues, and expect to offer recommendations to make web archives more representative, inclusive and open for research.
Other aspects will include exploring best practice in preserving and describing information online, building a research network across a range of disciplines and supporting different research approaches, including digital scholarship.
Engaging audiences
Exhibitions
'Petticoats and Pinnacles: Scotland's Pioneering Mountain Women', 10 July 2021–28 May 2022
This exhibition revealed how women overcame social and physical barriers to travel, climb and respond creatively to mountain environments. Their achievements as explorers and writers have been ignored, under-valued and lost over time. Each woman featured has a link to Scotland, either living or climbing here, and each has a story to tell. The exhibition was supported by Baillie Gifford.
Past exhibitions: Petticoats and Pinnacles
Collections in focus
'Sir Walter Scott and the Historical Novel', 12 November 2021–28 May 2022 (image No.35)
This display marked the 250th anniversary of the birth of Sir Walter Scott (1771–1832) and attracted 19,043 visitors. Scott is one of Scotland's most important authors and was crucial in creating and shaping part of Scotland's national identity in the 19th century – a legacy still felt today. His technique of setting stories in historical events and bringing together fictional characters and real-life figures remains widely popular.
'The Eye of a Stranger: Henrietta Liston's Travels', 10 July–6 November, 2021
In 1812, diarist and botanist Henrietta Liston, then 60, and her husband, Robert, Ambassador to the Sublime Porte, sailed to Turkey. This display was about her three-and-a-half-month voyage and the eight years Liston spent in Constantinople, as described in her travel journal. Her rich and varied experiences offer a unique vision of Constantinople in the early 19th century, while her enquiring voice provides insights into Ottoman society. Thanks go to the American Patrons of the National Library and Galleries of Scotland for funding work on the Henrietta Liston project.
Events
'Tuathanas nan Creutairean': 'Animal Farm' Goes Gaelic
In August 2021, we recorded a talk by Angus Peter Campbell, who translated George Orwell's timeless novel 'Animal Farm' into Gaelic for the first time, bringing the text to the modern reader. Audience feedback fully supported and encouraged further Gaelic language and culture events.
Angus was hailed as "a great performer and storyteller", with one participant saying it was "so good to have Gaelic inclusion and Angus did a good job using both languages". Another noted that "having only the most basic grasp of Gaelic was not a barrier and I was exposed to native speaking in a positive and open manner using a text I could relate to".
First 'Library Late' with Neu! Reekie!
Our first 'Library Late' with the Neu! Reekie! artist collective took place on April 1 2022 and was a creative celebration of our new permanent exhibition, 'Treasures of the National Library of Scotland'. At the sold-out event, attended by 75 people, the Neu! Reekie! artists shared works they had created that were inspired by the 'Treasures' displays. The evening was a great success with positive feedback from all attendees. We look forward to hosting similar events in future.
'Women's Lives and Writing' workshops
Two online workshops – 'Women's Lives and Writing: Online Resources for Scottish Residents' and 'Women's Lives And Writing: Online Resources for Everyone' – focused on several subscription eResources about women's lives and their writing, showing what content is available and the best ways the public can use these resources
'Aye Write'
We sponsored an event held on 23 May 2021, hosted by the 'Aye Write' Book Festival in Glasgow and broadcast online. The focus was the enduring appeal of Alasdair Gray's seminal novel 'Lanark: A Life in Four Books' in its 40th anniversary year. Manuscripts Curator Colin McIlroy, who was part of a panel of four Gray experts and enthusiasts, presented images of some of our 'Lanark' artworks – complete with sticky tape and Tipp-Ex. He also discussed other illustrations, literary manuscripts and journals held by the Alasdair Gray Archive which showcase "Alasdair's wonderful inability to leave surfaces blank".
Library Patrons and supporters were invited to join the event, which followed social media activity in February to mark 'Gray Day' (the anniversary of the publication of 'Lanark'). Our Gray archive includes his hand-written manuscripts, research material, notebooks, correspondence and original artwork.
MacKinnon Collection touring exhibitions
The tour followed highly successful exhibitions at the Library and the Scottish National Portrait Gallery in 2019–2020. The project curator, Blake Milteer, and Library and National Galleries of Scotland staff continued planning for three touring exhibitions of the MacKinnon Collection throughout the lockdowns and periods of restricted access to our buildings.
Adapting to changing logistics and schedules internally and externally was sustained, alongside ongoing management, cataloguing, digitisation, conservation work and online engagement for this jointly owned collection of more than 16,000 19th and 20th-century photographs mainly relating to Scotland. The three tours which ran from 2021–2022 took in Duff House in Banff, Kirkcudbright Galleries and Museum Nan Eilean in Stornoway. The MacKinnon Collection includes photographs of Tantallon Castle in East Lothian and wildlife such as owls.
Praise for our staff, events and collections
"We visited the Library over three days and were delighted with the professionalism and warm nature of the staff – they were all wonderful.
"From advanced document ordering, reader registration, document production, the Special Collections room and all things in between, our impression was entirely positive.
"I was doing research in the Manuscripts Reading Room and my better half was working on her laptop mostly in the restaurant. She was thoroughly looked after and delighted by the friendly, courteous nature of every member of staff.
"The 'Petticoats and Pinnacles' and 'Sir Walter Scott and the Historical Novel' displays were very informative and enjoyable."
"Authentic, engaging and really well-organised [talk]. Perfectly timed, too."
"Very entertaining and high-quality content. Well-organised and professional."
"I'm always grateful for the programmes... this was excellent."
A Voyage Around the Scottish Islands
Maps Curator Chris Fleet delivered a fully illustrated excursion around the Islands in this talk, recorded in August 2021. The event proved popular with viewers from across the United States, Australia, Canada, Singapore, Jordan and Vietnam. One audience commented on how "interesting, excellent and engaging" the event had made the topic.
Developing the organisation
New working practices
Human-centred design
Collaboration is key to achieving the ambitions of our 'Reaching People' strategy. To support this, we partnered with the V&A Dundee to develop a tool kit and deliver training for staff on human-centred design thinking, through the 'Design Thinking Accelerator' programme. Human-centred design thinking is a collaborative, user-focused and creative approach using structured analysis, research, testing and refinement to achieve practical solutions.
Accessibility
Web accessibility was a focus for staff this year, with raising awareness of what creates barriers to websites and other digital content for people with disabilities a key objective in our accessibility plan. Online and in-house training sessions boosted our staff's skills in creating accessible documents, writing guidance documentation and carrying out accessibility assessments. We evaluated new and redeveloped Library sites for accessibility and took remedial action to resolve any issues.
Pandemic and IT
Throughout the year our IT teams have continued to provide equipment to support staff working from home, at the Library's buildings, or potentially anywhere in the world. With more than 250 laptops and over 370 Office 365 licences handed out, plus the routine use of Microsoft Teams for virtual meetings, we have become a mobile workforce. We are addressing the challenges associated with flexible working, such as the global shortage of IT equipment and ensuring devices are cyber secure.
Partnership with Edinburgh Council – Capital Gaelic
The Library and City of Edinburgh Council made a successful bid to Bòrd na Gàidhlig in 2021 for funding to support and promote Gaelic. The Capital Gaelic project supports a co-ordinated and creative partnership approach to embedding the language as a vibrant part of life in the capital for the benefit of citizens and visitors.
The project aims to build opportunities through solid, dynamic links to bodies engaged in cultural activity, tourism, business and industry. This multi-agency group aims to share knowledge and expertise, develop Gaelic skills, and shape a long-term vision for the future of the language.
People
Orkney Scriever 2021–22
The role of the Scriever – a joint initiative between the Library and Creative Scotland – aims to support the creation of original writing in Scots and the promotion of the language through creative forms.
In July 2021, to mark the centenary of Orcadian writer George Mackay Brown, the residency was based on Orkney and Alison Miller appointed to the role. She has taken part in activities to celebrate the richness of the Orcadian dialect, acknowledging the Islands as a stronghold for the Scots language.
The main aim of this 12-month residency was the creation of original work in Scots, specifically in the Orcadian dialect. Alison has edited and launched a volume of Orcadian poems, 'Gousters, Glims and Veerie-Orums', and written a poem, 'What We Hae A Keepen On', to mark the opening of the 'Treasures of the National Library of Scotland' exhibition.
The Scriever has also been engaged in promoting the Orcadian language, primarily to local communities, through this work and other projects
Dr Rosa Filgueira
Dr Rosa Filgueira was the National Librarian's Research Fellow in Digital Scholarship 2021–22. The fellowship ran from September 2021 until March 2022 and aimed to create an AI toolkit to use with collections on the Data Foundry, with the toolkit trialled on the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' dataset. These tools will enable users with no data science or programming skills to interrogate the collections at scale.
More information can be found on the Data Foundry Projects page.
Chair and Board members
Sir Drummond Bone was appointed Chair of the Library for a four-year term from 1 October 2021. Sir Drummond was Master of Balliol College, from which he retired in 2018. He had an illustrious career as an expert in English literature and is a specialist on the works of Byron. Meanwhile, Alison Kidd, Robert Kilpatrick and Kirsty Lingstadt were appointed as Board members for a four-year term from 7 March 2022. They all bring a rich wealth of experience from disciplines including HR, estates and digital learning, teaching and research.
Artist in residence – Marion Carré
We took part in the collaborative programme 'New Forms of Togetherness' in 2021 with the Goethe Institut Glasgow, Alliance Française Glasgow, the Institut Français d'Ecosse and NEON Arts Festival. This involved hosting a Parisian artist, entrepreneur and teacher, Marion Carré, as our Artist in Residence.
Marion used the Library's dataset of more than 1,800 broadsides to create her work, 'Is it True? The PostTruth Archive Factory' – a three-part piece exploring the role of artificial intelligence in highlighting issues around the 'truth' of the archive. Learn more at data.nls.uk/project/artists-in-residence-marion-carre.
Miriam Mathews – Maps placement student
'Aiming for Today' was a short oral history project led by University of Glasgow PhD student Miriam Matthews through a Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities (SGSAH) voluntary placement.
Women, disabled people, people of colour and LGBTQ communities rarely see themselves represented in outdoor media, literature and other activities. Inspired by the pioneering women in our 'Aiming High' project and 'Petticoats and Pinnacles' exhibition, Miriam connected with seven women who are still breaking down barriers to access the outdoors and gathered their stories for the Sound Archive.
Alexandra Miller – Special Collections placement
Alexandra Miller worked with us in March and April 2022. She was continuing a previous placement to assign individual shelf marks to the open access reference stock in the Special Collections Reading Room and update the online catalogue.
2021–22 Internship programme
We recruited four interns in October 2021, continuing our support for young people despite the uncertainty of the pandemic. Each intern had their own project to work on, researching topics and developing solutions to support their own development and help the Library achieve its goals.
The interns and their projects were:
Jennifer Stewart, Location-based personalisation: Working with public libraries, the study aimed to gain an understanding of how we could offer a localised view into our collections through local libraries. It highlighted content that may be of higher interest to enhance reader experience and promote engagement.
John Stephen, Legacy digital media: Helped to assess older digital collections which may be at risk of deterioration.
Sophie Pearce-Hibbert, Scottish South Asians in broadcasting: Researched and uncovered Library collections and worked with community partners to tell the story of Scottish South Asians through their contribution to broadcast media.
Alex Wilson, LGBTQ+ history: Helped find LGBTQ+ stories and voices in our older collections and developed a 'starter pack' to support discovery, interpretation and engagement of these materials.
All of the internships ended in May 2022, leaving a great legacy of work. The interns have now moved on to new careers and opportunities, although Alex is still working in our Special Collections Reading Room.
Gaelic intern
Laura Macpherson began researching and identifying sub-groups of the wider Gaelic audience group, with the aim of developing relevant and meaningful ways of engagement, and where the Library could increase its Gaelic offering.
The focus was decided on community and family-focused activities as a way of reaching Gaelic audiences. With an increasing number of pupils in Gaelic medium education, cross-generational connections are very important in creating a sense of community and a meaningful tie to the language and culture.
Kickstart trainees
We welcomed two new team members in October 2021. Ryan Millar and Sophia Somerville joined the Preservation Services Unit (PSU) at Sighthill as Preservation Trainees for six months, as part of the UK Government-funded Kickstart scheme.
Kickstart pays employers to take on young people for work placements and the initiative is included in the Scottish Government's Youth Guarantee Employability Strategy. The Kickstart posts at Sighthill are a first for the Library and the experience has been positive.
Ryan and Sophia took to the work well, learnt new skills and brought energy and enthusiasm.
Sophia said: "This job is not what I expected – it's so much more interesting!"
Ryan added: "I am enjoying this work, especially when you see the results on the stack floors with boxes protecting books."
New PhD students welcomed in October 2021
Adele Kramber is researching 'Listen and Learn: Examining the Role of Schools Radio Broadcasting in Scotland's Classrooms'. This is a collaboration between the Library, University of Edinburgh and BBC Scotland. Adele is funded through the Arts and Humanities Research Council Collaborative Doctoral Partnership Studentship and Scottish Cultural Heritage Consortium.
Nelson Correia is researching 'Film Bang: Communities of Practice, Cross Media Interconnections and Sectoral Growth Within Scotland's Film And Television Industries'. This is a collaboration between the Library, Edinburgh Napier University and the University of Edinburgh and is funded by the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities, ARC Applied Research Collaborative Doctoral Award.
Ash Charlton is researching 'Slavery and Race in the 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' (1768–1860): A Text Mining Approach'. The research will analyse the newly digitised 'Encyclopaedia Britannica' using advanced text and data-mining approaches and aims to uncover how legacies of slavery are embedded into information sources.
The PhD is a collaboration between the Library and the University of Edinburgh and is funded by the Scottish Graduate School for Arts and Humanities, ARCS Applied Research Collaborative Doctoral Award.
Fragile Formats internship
Yolanda Bustamante Sampedro devised a survey – circulated to conservators across the UK – which aimed to gather evidence about treatment options for iron gall ink. This grew out of research Yolanda undertook during lockdown, to inform the treatment of a Robert Burns letter.
Her research led her to wonder how often the perceived best practice treatment for iron gall inks is carried out. The survey provided useful evidence, which is being collated into an iron gall inks treatment database. This tool will aid decision-making for treatment of this challenging conservation problem.
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
As part of our efforts to improve EDI, we recruited Intern Hannah Lindsay through UK Research and Innovation's (UKRI) policy internship scheme, which gives PhD students experience of using research to inform policy.
As well as updating the Library's digital safeguarding policy, Hannah reviewed our equality impact assessment (EQIA) process, which ensures policies and services are developed with equality and inclusion principles in mind.
Later in the year we were pleased to welcome the Library's new EDI Officer, Ellie Muniandy, who is progressing work in this area with colleagues throughout the Library, including the development of mandatory training programmes.
Funding our work
Income 2021/22
Grant in aid: £17,057,000
Donations and legacies: £956,000
Charitable activities: £574,000
Investment income: £172,000
Other trading activities: £51,000
Spending 2021/22
Staff costs: £12,179,000
Depreciation: £3,402,000
Other running costs: £1,798,000
Collection purchases: £1,812,000
Building maintenance: £1,270,000
Other property costs: £763,000