Information Services

Exhibitions, tours and talks

Discover New College Library and its Special Collections thorugh our exhibitions, tours and talks.

Exhibitions

New College Library has a Special Collections display case in the Library entrance, which is used for a rolling display of New College Library Special Collections items, as well as Special Collections items held in the CRC, Main Library which are of interest to the School of Divinity. We would be pleased to receive suggestions for items to display in this case.

New College Library also works with the CRC at the Main Library to support national and international exhibition loan requests for New College Library Special Collections items.

Tours and talks

There are three main types of visit, available either singly or in any combination.

  1. Library tour
  2. Special Collections display
  3. Teaching session

1. Library tour

The Library tour concentrates on the publicly accessible areas of New College Library including the historic Library Hall with Funk Reading Room, David Welsh Reading Room and Stacks. Depending on staff availability, a self-guided tour may be offered. Stairs may make tours unsuitable for those with mobility difficulties. For Health & Safety reasons group sizes are limited to a maximum of 10.

2. Special Collections display

With suitable advance notice we can arrange a display in the Funk Reading Room of Special Collections items tailored to meet the needs of your group. Visitors are taken to the glass panelled reading room and are shown items drawn from the collections. Please note that this will take place whilst normal library activity carries on close by and so is not a suitable occasion for speaking / teaching. Due to the limited space available, group sizes are limited to a maximum of 10.

3. Teaching session

To use New College Library Special Collections in a classroom environment we can arrange for University staff to have Special Collections items in the Senate Room, adjacent to the Library. Staff are responsible for arranging the booking of this room if it is available. The Academic Support Librarian for Divinity can speak briefly to introduce items and about the history of New College Library. When selecting New College Special Collections materials for student group use, staff should be aware that many shelfmarks have recently changed as collections have been catalogued online - please check the online catalogue for up to date references.

Booking details and conditions

To book, please contact the Academic Support Librarian for Divinity or the New College Library Helpdesk.

Please contact us a minimum of eight working weeks prior to the proposed visit or talk. Visiting groups may be limited to a maximum of 10 people. Visits and talks usually take place during normal Library opening hours. While we are delighted to share our historic building and collections with visitors, library support for students and staff at the University of Edinburgh always remains our priority. All visits and talks will be dependent on the availability of appropriate Library staff on the dates and times proposed. All visitors must comply with Special Collections security procedures and regulations and will be subject to the direction of Library staff at all times.

Further information

If you have any queries or would like further information, please contact:

Christine Love-Rodgers

Academic Support Librarian

  • University of Edinburgh

Contact details

Address

Street

New College Library
Mound Place

Post Code
EH1 2LU

Related Links

History of New College