Highlights of year
Annual Review.
- Increased traffic to the Library's website to over 3.45 million visits — a rise of 18% on the previous year
- Created 860,000 digital images — an increase of 57% over the previous year and higher than in any other previous year
- Welcomed over 118,000 visitors to the Library's exhibitions — an increase of 16% on the previous year
- Published a five-year strategy which has a series of ambitious commitments including having a third of the Library's collection in digital format by 2025
- Added 195,000 physical items to the collections through Legal Deposit, purchases and donations
- Added almost 800,000 books and journal articles through electronic Legal Deposit (eLD). Over 5.5% of the Library's collections are now available digitally compared to 2.6% at the start of the year
- Made a major acquisition in securing the Sweetheart Breviary — an extremely rare example of a Scottish medieval religious manuscript
- Completed the purchase of the final part of the archive of the Scots-born and internationally famous writer Muriel Spark, one of the most comprehensive records of a writer's life ever assembled
- Completed a major project to digitise hundreds of Gaelic items and make them available online
- Continued building work on new facilities at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, due to open in September 2016. It gives the Library its first base in Scotland's largest centre of population and will make it much easier for the public to enjoy 100 years of Scottish history held within the Moving Image Archive while also giving access to the Library's vast digital collections
- Continued with the major renovation of Library's main book store at the Causewayside building in Edinburgh
- Staged two major exhibitions 'Lifting the lid: 400 years of food and drink in Scotland' and 'Plague: a cultural history of contagious diseases in Scotland'
- Took historic maps by cartographer James Robertson to his birthplace on Shetland — the first time they have been seen there
-
'Ae Fond Kiss' by Robert Burns.
- Participated in a national public sector survey for the first time to measure levels of engagement among our staff. Results showed the Library to be in the top 25% of all participating organisations while identifying areas for improvement
- Undertook a re-organisation of the Library's staffing structure to ensure alignment with the new strategy
- Successfully made the case to the Scottish Government for an increase in the Collection Purchase Fund budget for 2016/17. This increased from £500k to £1 million, securing access to key electronic resources and helping to ensure the integrity of the national collections
- Hosted and organised the Elizabeth Soutar Bookbinding Competition and the Callum Macdonald Memorial Award for poetry pamphlet publishing.
National Librarian's report
A theatre set, football programmes, a Gaelic guide to text messaging, political posters, linoleum samples, 'Dandy' and 'Beano' comics, home movies, knitting patterns, selected websites and railway timetables are just some of the more unusual items to be found in the National Library of Scotland. All help to capture life in Scotland both now and in the past.
They are part of the 26 million items we hold in our collections which grow at a rate of around 800 new items every day. They include every imaginable topic from the 6th century to the digital age and represent nothing less than the collected memory of the nation. Included among them are many rare and original items. They help people in Scotland understand where we have come from and can be a guide towards where we aim to be.
Our job is to preserve this precious collection and share it as widely as possible. In the digital age, that means we have to do more to ensure that information about the collections and our services is made available online.
That was one of the main driving forces behind the Library's five-year strategy, 'The way forward', which was published during the year. It commits us to having a third of our collection in digital format by 2025 which will mean that people anywhere with an internet connection can access much more of what we have to offer.
This will be challenging to achieve and will involve digitising over one million pages of content annually over the next few years as we embark on a library-wide digital production programme. It is, however, something, we have to do. The internet has created a revolution in how people expect to be able to access information. We would be failing in our duty if we did not make access to our collections as easy as it can be. Achieving this target will make us one of the top digital libraries in Europe.
Many national libraries are already developing as digital destinations, moving on from the more traditional role of providing a physical space to consult collection material. We have been building an online presence for a number of years and already offer educational resources to students through our Learning Zone, in addition to many other riches including family history resources, thousands of online maps and historic films, and dedicated information on Scotland's greatest writers and scientists. That is attracting a global audience and has resulted in a steady increase in the number of people searching for information on our website. During the year this rose to a record of almost 3.5 million web sessions.
At the same time as we develop online services, we are improving what is on offer inside our buildings. This includes giving a higher priority to supporting research, and delivering events and exhibitions that educate, entertain and inspire people of all ages and backgrounds.
Library of Scotland, Kelvin Hall.
A major development in 2015-16 has been the work to prepare for the opening of our new Library at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow in September 2016. This will, for the first time, bring easy access to our collections to people in Scotland's largest city. It will provide a home for the Library's Moving Image Archive which offers 100 years of film history as well as allowing visitors to discover the extensive digital resources, including millions of e-books that are held within the collections. They will be able to view in detail digital images of historic items such as the Order for the Massacre of Glencoe and Mary Queen of Scots' last letter, in addition to historic maps, manuscripts by writers including Robert Burns, Sir Walter Scott and Muriel Spark and much more.
The collections are at the heart of everything we do and we add to them every day. We were particularly pleased this year to acquire an early 14th century Breviary, from Sweetheart Abbey near Dumfries which represented the Library's most important medieval manuscript acquisition for 30 years. It has returned to Scotland after a gap of several hundred years and had been feared lost before it turned up for sale at an auction in Vienna. It is an extremely rare surviving example of a medieval liturgical manuscript for a Scottish monastic community and a wonderful addition to the collection.
As well as collecting material, we encourage, promote and facilitate its use. To that end, we were pleased this year to welcome two prominent Scottish writers to creative residencies at the Library. Hamish MacDonald took up a two-year residency as the country's first Scots Scriever, a role which involves promoting the use of the Scots language. He is also using the collection to produce original, creative work in Scots. Later in the year, Angus Peter Campbell was appointed to the Dr Gavin Wallace Fellowship to explore the recorded memory of Scotland through the Library's collections. We are very grateful for the support from Creative Scotland for both posts.
The vast majority of our funding comes from the public through their taxes and it is our responsibility to ensure that this money is spent wisely. We are continually looking to develop more efficient and effective processes and systems. The support from the Scottish Government for repairs and improvements to our major buildings and for the move to Kelvin Hall has been especially important. We are also indebted to the many individuals, trusts, foundations and sponsors whose generous support is vital in funding a wide range of developments.
We are moving forward. More people are attending our exhibitions and events and visiting us online. Use of our reading rooms continues to be high. We are growing our social media presence through Twitter and Facebook. Our intake of material both in print and digital is at record levels. We are engaging with more people in more parts of Scotland and further afield. None of this would be possible without the skill and dedication of all the staff of the National Library of Scotland, the guidance, advice and contribution of our Board members and the commitment of all our supporters both at home and overseas. To each and every one of them, a very heartfelt thanks. Our journey may be just beginning but we have the destination clearly in sight.
Dr John Scally
National Librarian and Chief Executive
Funding our work
The majority of our income comes from the Scottish Government although we are continuing to develop other initiatives to support the work of the Library. The amount raised through fundraising continues to grow year on year as does income from the commercial sale of licensed and other products. In 2015-16 the Library ended the year with a small surplus of £106,000.
Thanks to all our supporters
While our core work is funded by the Scottish Government, we rely on support from donors to make purchases of national significance and fund developments that can enhance the range and quality of services we offer. This support is of enormous importance to the work of the National Library.
There are many examples of how donations have helped the Library in the past year and they include:
- Our new home at the Kelvin Hall
This space will truly transform how the public accesses our collections. Visitors can enjoy the footage chosen by our curators, or can find a booth and search the catalogue of 12,000 film titles. But of course there is so much more for visitors to explore and discover. Our extensive e-resources including maps, books, manuscripts and business information will be available at the reading desks in the new centre.
We are enormously grateful to the Scottish Government and the generous philanthropists who shared our vision of opening up and celebrating our collective history in this way. From film lovers, prominent actors and directors, to Glaswegians keen to see the restoration of the West End's iconic 1920s building, and those researching their family history, the project has been recognised as an investment in the nation's history and has gained widespread support.- 'On the third of March, — it being the last day of General Washington's power as President, — he gave a great publick dinner to the officers of State, Foreign Ministers, principal Senators, & to their respective Ladies. I had, as usual, the gratification of being handed to Table and of sitting by the President. — Had I never before considered the character of Washington, — I should certainly have joined the general voice, & pronounced him, greater in his voluntary retreat, & in the resignation of power over an immense country, — than when, having by his conduct as a Solider, been the principal means of rendering this Country independent, he became, by the universal suffrage of the people, its ruler & director. I should have repeated with others, — Washington is the first of Men — wise, great, & good, — whereas as I now view him he is in truth & reality — honest, prudent & fortunate, &, wonderful to say, almost without ambition: these words are less dignified but no less strong.'
We would like to thank all the generous supporters to the Library who helped us to achieve so much more in 2015-16.
Callum Macdonald Memorial Award
The Michael Marks Charitable Trust.
Acquisitions, including the acquisition of the Sweetheart Breviary
B H Breslauer Foundation
Cruden Foundation Ltd
Friends of the National Libraries
The P F Charitable Trust.
Connecting Scotland's Sounds
Esmee Fairbairn Foundation
The Martin Connell Charitable Trust.
Conservation work
Lorraine Fannin
Lady Lucinda Mackay
Michael Palin
Stichting Teuntje Anna (TA Fund)
Tekoa Trust.
Education projects
Michael Palin
Tekoa Trust
David P Sturrock
The W S Wilson Charitable Trust.
The Scots Scriever and the Gavin Wallace Fellowship
Creative Scotland.
General funds
Pauline A M Clarke and Patricia Clarke
The Alma & Leslie Wolfson Charitable Trust
The Gamma Trust
The Sir Maxwell Harper Gow Charitable Trust
The Springford Trust
The estate of Peter G Falconer.
Kelvin Hall
Iain and Fiona Allan
Prof Michael Anderson and Elspeth MacArthur
Helen Durndell
Iain Glen
Alexander Graham
Prof Alexander McCall Smith and Dr Elizabeth McCall Smith
Fred and Irene Shedden
The AMW Charitable Trust
The John Liston Scottish Charitable Trust
The Mickel Fund
William Grant Foundation.
The Liston Archive
Dr Walter Scott.
Map digitisation
Aurelius Charitable Trust
David Rumsey
Samuel H Kress Foundation
Stichting Teuntje Anna (TA Fund).
Muriel Spark acquisition and cataloguing
The Binks Trust
Elizabeth Soutar Charitable Trust
Friends of the National Libraries
Florian Hecht
Dr James Robertson
Kenneth Speirs
The Tayfield Foundation
The Trusthouse Charitable Trust
Graham Whyte and Sarah Whitley.
Patrons and Benefactors, who support a range of projects across the Library
Iain and Fiona Allan
Prof Michael Anderson and Elspeth MacArthur
Diana Balfour
Mary Baxter
The Boyle Family
Diane Cabrelli
Prof Sir Kenneth Calman KCB FRSE
Lord and Lady Cameron of Lochbroom
Kenneth Campbell
Dr Roger Collins and Dr Judith McClure
Sir Sandy and Lady Crombie
Dr John Cruikshank and Dr Susan Shatto
Prof Sir David and Lady Edward
Sir Gerald and Lady Elliot
Christopher Wilkins and Margaret Elliot
Dr Robert O Gould and Dr Sheila Gould
Dr and Mrs Michael Gray
Donald Hardie
Shields and Carol Henderson
Edward H Hocknell
Mr and Mrs Dermot J Jenkinson
Roy Leckie
Dr John MacAskill
Lady Lucinda Mackay
Prof Alexander McCall Smith and Dr Elizabeth McCall Smith
Dr Warren McDougall
Dr Karina McIntosh
Jim Mellon
Moira Methven
Harry and Nicola Morgan
Dr Henry Noltie
Charles and Ruth Plowden
Prof David Purdie
Donald and Brenda Rennie
Dr James Robertson
Sir Muir and Lady Russell
Norman and Dorothy Springford
Brian and Pamela Taylor
Mr and Mrs Alastair J Todd
Max and Lady Sarah Ward
Graham Whyte and Sarah J M Whitley
W James Wolffe and Lady Sarah Wolffe.
We would also like to thank the Directors of the American Patrons of the National Library and Galleries of Scotland and our supporters in the US who have supported a number of projects including our Fulbright Scholar.
Mr Norman Auslander
Bliss and Brigitte Carnochan
Patrick Calhoun
Prof Martha W Driver
Jennifer L Erickson
Francis K Finlay
James Fraser
Martin J Glynn
K T Wiedmann Foundation
Michael Lampert
Mr and Mrs John Macaskill
Sir Fraser Morrison
Michael Shane Neal
Doug Pringle
Patricia Savides
St Andrew's Society of Los Angeles
Ciannait Sweeney Tait
Dr William Zachs and Martin Adam.
A huge thank you to all our supporters, including those who wish to remain anonymous.
What people say
'This is the most efficient, beautiful and welcoming library I have worked in.'
Prof Indra Munshi, Department of Sociology, University of Bombay.
'An excellent library in all senses — and — what is the most important — it keeps the almost perfect electronic catalogue with a net access.'
Mikhail Mikeshin, St Petersburg Center for the History of Ideas.
'Your work is immensely important and you provide a most marvellous service-thank you wholeheartedly.'
Caroline McManus, Library user.
'Thanks for your amazing online historical map resource.'
Mark Sturdy, Library user.
'Often I am directed to my favourite items by the staff at the Library. They have incredible specialist knowledge.'
Sara Sheridan, author.
'I write at the Library every week when I'm not in the clinic and it's a tremendous resource.'
Dr Gavin Francis, author and GP.
'Thank you so much for your reply to my query on the newspaper "Earlston Comet". I am delighted with your comprehensive and informative reply — an excellent service.'
Susan Donaldson, Library user.
'I take this opportunity to express my appreciation of the wider service provided by the Library. I consider myself fortunate to have easy access to such a wonderful facility.'
Professor J J McCutcheon, Heriot-Watt University.
Download the 2015-2016 Annual Review (PDF) (619 KB; 9 pages)