Visitor Information

Please note, access to the CRC Reading Room is by appointment only. Please read the following information carefully: 

• Requests should be made to is-crc@ed.ac.uk (or lhsa@ed.ac.uk for Lothian Health Services Archive) 

• Appointments will be subject to availability of spaces in the CRC Reading Room.

• Your appointment is for one person only - you must not bring anyone else with you to the building.

• Requests for appointments should be made at least 1 week in advance. Same-day requests will not be possible. 

• Please let us know if you have any additional access requirements.

• Opening Hours:

• If you are not a University of Edinburgh staff or student, please report to the reception desk at the main entrance of the Main Library on George Square. A member of staff will allow you in to the building and direct you to the 6th floor. Please note the rest of the library will not be available for access unless you are University of Edinburgh staff or student.

Please do not attend the Main Library if you are experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID-19, as detailed on the NHS Inform website.

From September 2021 users may request appointment for the Virtual Reading Room. These one hour appointments use Microsoft Teams to provide a live, online viewing of collection items, facilitated by a member of CRC staff. These are particularly useful if you are unable to visit the CRC in person.

• Requests should be made to is-crc@ed.ac.uk (or lhsa@ed.ac.uk for Lothian Health Services Archive) 

• Appointments are 1 hour in length, and staff can provide low quality photographs of items following the appointment

• You may not record the appointment

• Requests for appointments should be made at least 1 week in advance. Same-day requests will not be possible. 

• Please let us know if you have any additional access requirements.

• The opening hours are Mondays, however we may occasionally be able to offer appointments on a different day.

Virtual Reading Room Opening Hours

• This service is open to all.
• You will need a PC or large tablet for the appointment, and a stable internet connection from the location at which you are attending (i.e. at home, in an office)

Once your appointment has been confirmed, you will be asked to complete our online registration form. All users must complete this form (including those who previously registered pre-lockdown).

Register Here

If you would like to discuss options for delivering teaching with collections in the 20/21 academic year, please email us at is-crc@ed.ac.uk.

The CRC and Main Library will have enhanced hygiene measures in place to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. These include: 

• Enhanced cleaning schedules

• Additional regulations for users in the CRC Reading Room, including hand hygiene 

• Hand sanitiser stations in addition to hand washing facilities 

The University is following the guidance provided by Health Protection Scotland. If you have any specific questions, please do ask these at the time of making your request for access. 

In line with Scottish Government guidance, it is now mandatory that face coverings are worn in all of our libraries and study spaces. Please note this does not apply to those who are exempt from the rules. Scottish Government guidance on face coverings

Test and Trace

If you receive a positive COVID-19 test result, please include the CRC telephone number 0131 650 8379 when providing contact information to the Contact Tracing service. If a positive COVID-19 test result is received by an individual you may have had contact with during your visit to the CRC, your name and telephone number (as provided by your UofE library account or CRC registration form) will be provided to the contact tracing service. All personal information is protected according to General Data Protection Regulations and is outlined in the University's Privacy Statement.

Toilets will be available as usual, with additional hygiene measures in place. However, some facilities will not be available in order to reduce the risk of transmission. These include: 

• Open Access PCs: if you require online access, please ensure that you bring your own laptop or tablet (these may be taken in to the Reading Room). Alternatively, staff will be available to search on your behalf, but using your own device is recommended. 

• Library Café: the café is open. Food may not be consumed in the building, but bottled drinks may be used in the CRC reception area. There is also a water fountain – please bring your own water bottle. 

The CRC is fully accessible for in person consultations on the 6th floor with lift access, adapted toilets and no further stairs on our floor. Our reception is also fitted with an audio induction loop.

• Deaf or hard of hearing users will find  our Virtual Reading Room service accessible as these consultation sessions are taken remotely via a Microsoft Teams video conference call and the “chat” facility allows users to communicate and make requests during the session. Users are also welcome to include a BSL interpreter in their session should they require this. See list above for more information on our Virtual Reading Room service.

• Users with mobility issues: Our Virtual Reading Rooms are ideal for people with mobility issues as users can consult our collections remotely via a Microsoft Teams video conference call.