Reopening

We still need to take precautions to protect you, other visitors, and our staff, so we ask that all reading room visitors carefully read this page before they arrive.

Wearing a face covering is mandatory when you are inside the Library, unless you are exempt under government guidelines.

Please observe all conditions of entry. If you have special access requirements, we recommend that you contact us before your visit. Read more about access and facilities for people with disabilities.

Page updated: 12 July.

On this page

• George IV Bridge reading rooms
• 'What to expect' video guide
• Maps Reading Room
• Health and safety measures
• Other services
• Next steps

Our reading rooms in Edinburgh are open to library card holders, on a pre-booked basis only. If you are not already a member, you need to join the Library before booking. 

Our exhibitions space in Edinburgh is open to the public on a pre-booked basis.

The National Library at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow is open to the public with revised opening hours. You do not need to pre-book or be a member of the Library to visit us at Kelvin Hall.

The General Reading Room and Special Collections Reading Room are open Tuesday to Saturday, 10.00 to 16.00.

Readers can book one session per week, but will not be able to visit both reading rooms in the same week.

We are operating staggered entry / exit times:

• 10.00-15.00
• 10.30-15.30
• 11.00-16.00.

We have arranged the seating areas in our reading rooms to reflect these staggered opening times.

You may arrive at any time during your reading room session, but must leave promptly at the end of your session.

How to book your visit

You must book your visit and preorder material at least 24 hours ahead of your intended visit.

For details, see our seat booking form on LibCal.

Visits are limited to one per week, due to the reduced capacity for seating and the need to ensure that as many of our readers as possible benefit from access.

You will need to bring your booking acknowledgement email or be able to show it on your mobile phone when you arrive at the Library.

Please note: To consult special collections items and general collections material together you must book for the Special Collections Reading Room. At present, you can consult a maximum of six general collections items in the Special Collections Reading Room. We cannot bring special collections material to the General Reading Room. Special collections items are:

• Manuscripts
• Rare books and music items that are listed in Library Search as being read in the Special Collections Reading Room.

How to preorder collection material

You can preorder collection material as normal using Library Search or our manuscript materials ordering form.

We need advance notice of 24 hours for orders, with a cut-off time of 11.00 the day before your visit. Please use the online ordering forms mentioned above to order your collection materials. 

Law materials for consultation in the General Reading Room will be available 72 hours after you have placed your order. Please ensure that you place your order by 14.00 on Mondays and Thursdays. Orders in by 14.00 on Mondays will be available from the Friday, and material ordered before 14.00 on Thursday will be available from the following Tuesday.

Maximum ordering limits per visit are 12 items for the General Reading Room and six items for the Special Collections Reading Room.

For most collection items you will receive an email acknowledgement when the item has been delivered to the reading room. If you haven't received the email notification, please use our online enquiry service to check that your requested items are available for you.

Consulting preordered material at George IV Bridge

On the day of your visit, we will place your ordered collection materials at your designated seat number, in time for your arrival.

When finished for the day, please return your collection materials to a returns trolley, which will be positioned close to your departure point.

If you wish to reserve material for a second visit the following week, please speak to a member of staff.

What services will be available?

You will be able to:

• Access our collection material
  • Access most of the open access reference stock in the reading rooms
  • Access a study space / dedicated seating area
  • Use the Library's free wifi to search our collections on your own device
• Reserve material for a second visit the following week
• Use a limited on-site enquiry service — although we encourage you to use our online enquiry service wherever possible
• Capture images from our collections using your own device and subject to the usual exclusions
• Use our toilets: On floor 13 these are opposite the General Reading Room. On floor 11 they are in the corridor to the right of the main stairs.

You will not be able to:

• Book for both reading rooms in the same week
• Consult special collections material in the General Reading Room
• Order or read some large folio volumes and highly treasured collection items
• Print from electronic devices or microfilm reader
• Use your own reference books and papers
• Access collection material during your visit: all collection items will need to be preordered at least 24 hours before your visit
• View our exhibitions or attend events in the building: these are both temporarily closed
• Use our café or the packed lunch area: they will be closed. You will have to go outside to eat your lunch.

The Maps Reading Room in our Causewayside building is open Tuesday to Thursday, 10.00 to 13.00 and 14.00 to 16.00.

Readers can book up to two half-day sessions per week. You must book your visit and preorder material at least 24 hours ahead of your intended visit. Please see below for details of how to book a session and how to preorder map material.

Please note that the Maps Reading Room is for consultation of items in the Library's map collections and other large format material.

You may arrive at any time during your reading room session, but must leave promptly at the end of your session.

How to book your visit and preorder collection material

You must book your visit and preorder material at least 24 hours ahead of your intended visit.

You can book an appointment online through our self-service booking system. To use this system you have to be an existing library card holder.

Visits are limited to two half-day sessions per week. This is because there will be fewer seats for readers, and we want as many of our readers as possible to gain entry to the reading room.

When booking your visit, please request the maps you wish to consult using our maps request form, so that we can have them ready for your arrival. You can also use the 'additional details' section on the booking form to describe the type of maps you are looking for. We will contact you to identify the most suitable maps for your visit.

Consulting preordered material at the Maps Reading Room

On the day of your visit, we will place your ordered collection materials in the Maps Reading Room ready for your arrival.

When finished for the day, please tell a member of staff and they will arrange for the items to be safely returned or placed on reserve for a visit the following week.

What services will be available at the Maps Reading Room? 

You will be able to:

• Access our collection material
  • Access most of the open access reference stock in the Maps Reading Room
  • Access a study space / dedicated seating area
  • Use the Library's free wifi to search our collections on your own device
• Reserve material for a second visit the following week
• Use a limited on-site enquiry service – although we encourage you to use our online enquiry services wherever possible
• Capture images from our collections using your own device and subject to the usual exclusions
• Use our toilets: An accessible public toilet will be available at the entrance foyer outside the Maps Reading Room.

You will not be able to:

• View certain outsize maps and atlases, which would require more than one member of staff to issue them safely. You will be advised if you request such an item
• Use your own reference books and papers
• There are no refreshment facilities for readers in our Causewayside Building. If visiting for a day, you will need to go outside to eat your lunch.

The health and safety of our visitors and staff is our top priority and we are complying fully with Scottish Government guidelines.

Hand sanitation stations are placed throughout the building. To protect our staff, Perspex screens are in place at our reception areas and reading room desks.

What safety and hygiene measures are in place?

• Toilets are open and stocked with soap and paper towels, and guidance on washing hands thoroughly is signposted throughout
• All hard surfaces in the reading rooms are thoroughly cleaned daily, and before each visitor session. High touch points are cleaned throughout the day
• We have implemented physical distancing measures, with queuing systems in place, and physical distancing and one-way signage clearly displayed.

We ask that you:

• Limit your movement around the reading rooms
• Do not move chairs or tables
• Follow physical distancing guidelines
• Comply with health and hygiene measures, including physical distancing, washing your hands, and using the hand sanitiser provided.

Please stay home if you're unwell – any readers exhibiting symptoms of illness may be asked to leave.

Do I need to wear a mask?

The Scottish Government has made it mandatory to wear a face covering inside libraries.

Please note that the Government does not consider a face visor alone to be adequate protection: if you wear a visor you must wear another type of face covering with it.

How often are the toilets being cleaned?

All toilets are cleaned every hour that we’re open to the public. This may lead to slightly longer waiting times.

Will I need to, or am I allowed to, wear gloves when handling the collections?

No. We do not expect you to wear gloves when handling the collections unless instructed to by staff.

How do I know that collections items I've ordered are not infectious from staff and / or a previous reader?

We have changed the way we work to reduce the handling of items, and we have adopted strict hygiene practices to reduce the risk of viral transmission through Library materials.

Can I still use the lockers to store my personal items before using the reading rooms?

Yes. You can use the lockers on Floor 11 in the main visitor area to store personal items before using the reading rooms. The lockers on Floor 13 by the General Reading Room are out of use. Please remember to bring a £1 coin with you ahead of your visit, as our change machine is out of use.

What can I bring into the reading rooms?

Our terms and conditions regarding items you may or may not bring in to the reading rooms still apply. However:

• You need to bring as few items into the reading rooms as possible, e.g. one notebook, pencils, eraser, sharpener, laptop, phone, purse or wallet.
• Do not bring your own reference books and papers.
• You will be asked to open your notebook and laptop for examination when you leave the reading rooms. Staff will not handle your material.

Do you collect information for contact tracing?

Yes. Following Scottish Government guidance, we ask for some information about you for NHS Scotland's Test and Protect service. When you book a space in one of our reading rooms, we will ask for your telephone number. We will provide your name and telephone number to NHS Scotland tracers, if required, unless you indicate that you wish to opt out. Visit the NHS Scotland's Test and Protect service website for more information.

I am very anxious about coming in — can I discuss my visit with a staff member?

Yes, of course. You can ask a question online, using our enquiry form or chat service. We are happy to discuss any concerns you might have.

Will I be able to attend talks and other events at the Library?

As above, we will plan for a reopening of onsite events in line with Scottish Government guidelines.

In the meantime we are solely focused on producing a programme of online events and workshops that you can enjoy from home.

Can I join the Library just now?

You can join the Library online, which will give you access to a range of electronic resources outwith the Library if your main address is in Scotland.

Readers' Registration in the George IV Bridge building is open. This means that we are issuing library cards to new members, and renewing or replacing cards for existing card holders.

You can only get a new or replacement card when you arrive for your pre-booked reading room session. This helps us to minimise the number of people in the building at any one time.

To maintain social distancing, we are unable to issue new readers with library cards in the Maps Reading Room at present. We will issue a temporary pass when you arrive for your first pre-booked Maps Reading Room session.

Please remember to bring evidence of identity with you.

Can I hand in or post donations of books or other items once you have re-opened?

We are very grateful to those who offer donations for the national collections. Unfortunately, until further notice we are unable to accept donations of physical material without prior arrangement.

Please email the Acquisition Team at donationsenquiries@nls.uk with details of the item(s) that you would like to donate. If we accept your offer, we will get in touch to arrange delivery once we are able to receive donations.

Next steps

Our main priority right now is to enable access to the collections. We will reopen other parts of the George IV Bridge building, such as our café and shop, as soon as it is safe to do so, and in line with government guidelines.

Keep an eye on this website and our social media channels for updates.

Meanwhile, we look forward to seeing you at our reading rooms.

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