Ordering material

How to request material for consultation during your visit.

Making a request

We strongly encourage you to contact us before your visit as special access conditions and restrictions apply to some collections. We are happy to accept advance orders by phone or email (see below). Please give us 2 working days notice of any advance orders. Some material may need to be screened to ensure that we comply with Data Protection legislation and this can take up to 5 working days; if your order falls into this category we will tell you.

Material can also be ordered in person at the CRC reception, using the consultation slips available.

Collection times

We have designated collection times: 9:15, 11:15, 2:15 (4:15 when open until 7pm); your order will normally be available within 30 minutes of the collection time unless staff tell you otherwise.

One request slip should be completed for each item. A maximum of 4 items can be requested at any one time. In order to assist the staff in retrieving the correct item, please complete the slip as fully as possible, including the author, title and the shelfmark / reference number. Each slip should be completed with the reader’s name and signature. By doing so, you assume responsibility for the item from the time it is issued until it is returned to the Reading Room supervisor. Only one item may be consulted at any time.

Delayed or restricted access

Lothian Health Services Archive

Please note, arrangements to see Lothian Health Services Archive items should be requested in advance due to legislative restrictions on some material. Please contact lhsa@ed.ac.uk.

Please note that some of our collections are held off-site at the Library Annexe. These items will be delivered to the CRC on either a Monday or a Wednesday; staff will tell you when your books will be delivered. Special arrangements can be made to view fragile and very large material at our off-site facility.

Requests to view our iconic items and other items, which are subject to restrictions, will be considered by senior Special Collections staff. Some of our material may not be available for consultation for legal reasons.

Reserve

You are welcome to ask us to keep material on reserve for a future visit, but you must tell us when you intend to return, as we may not be able to retrieve items on demand. We can reserve material for up to 5 working days.

Centre for Research Collections

Street: Main University Library
George Square
City: Edinburgh
Post Code: EH8 9LJ

This article was published on Aug 10, 2017

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