Our George IV Bridge building will be closed to the public on Monday 19 January. It will reopen at 10am on Tuesday 20 January.

National Library of Scotland

Society and politics

Uncovering Scotland’s social and political shifts, past and present, through archives, personal stories, and movements that shaped justice, identity, health, and public life.

Sentenced and silenced: The criminalisation and transportation of queer lives

Discover how 19th-century Scottish law silenced queer voices and controlled identity through class, power, and punishment.
Historic photo of soldiers in uniform standing in formation before a castle, with people and horses nearby, overlaid with a soft rainbow gradient.

From stigma to strength: The evolution of HIV and AIDS awareness

Our collections reveal Scotland’s complex HIV and AIDS history.
Sepia paper with a black stamp on it that reads "AIDS is not prejudiced, it can kill anyone".

The Power of the Powerless at Greenham Common: Beth Junor’s archive of peace and protest

Read about Beth Junor’s powerful archive of feminist protest at Greenham Common, an inspiring story of courage, resistance and hope.
A group of people standing on a road, intercepting a convoy of large trucks. Some individuals have their arms raised.