Wonderful Things - the National Museum of Scotland Research Library

Definitely my favourite library visit of the year so far this, but it's taken me a few weeks to get round to blogging it (very busy life April!).

The National Museum of Scotland

Since the National Museum of Scotland was re-opened to the public following substantial refurbishment and redevelopment work it has created many new spaces and galleries. 

The Research Library is now to be found on a corridor leading straight through from the ‘Connect’ gallery and holds approximately 10% of the total collection.

The Research Library

The current Library originated as the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Library around 230 years ago. There are now around 30,000 books and 400 periodicals alone (though some will be acquired through exchange, donations, work with other bodies) plus many electronic databases and Special Collections of various sorts e.g. binding.  Stock is taken in many languages, with a strong European and Slavic slant. The remaining stock is downstairs in two cellars designated for books and for journals respectively.

Stock Focus

It primarily focuses on information that supports the collection area’s of the Museum such as worldwide decorative arts e.g. ceramics, glass, metalwork. Fine arts would tend to be looked after at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Library. Anything related to actual archaeological sites would be seen to be primary province of Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland, NMS concentrate on objects. The Research Library also covers more general subjects such as museology, archaeology, and material related to the history of the museum itself. Items that come into its care that do not relate to its main business or the history of the institution will tend to be redistributed to more appropriate libraries (such as the National Library of Scotland).

The Physical Library

The Library is split into bookshelves, journals corner, computer bank, desk area. 

There is a ‘Highlights’ section which is often stock relating specifically to a current exhibition or area of interest within the museum e.g. currently liked to the ‘Fascinating Mummies’ exhibition.  Such inter-linking proves popular with museum staff.



Highlights Bookcase- Fascinating Mummies



Research

The Library is reference only in terms of the general public, but anyone can browse in it, though only staff and Fellows of the Society can borrow. It is open Monday – Friday around 10am – 5pm.  If the public wish to use the computers to link to external content they need to register, but otherwise can walk straight in. To use Special Collections they must also register. The catalogue is on the NMS website and can be searched remotely. It is useful to contact the Library in advance if folk want specific things which may require to be brought up to the Library from the cellars.

Enquiries can also be referred to the Library through the InfoZones within the museum (public-facing area’s giving information about the collections and museum in various places). The Library staff also staff the InfoZones within the Museum.

In staffing terms there is the Librarian and various Assistant Librarians and Library Assistants as well as an Electronic Services Officer.

Special Collections

Many items in the collection are rare and / or valuable or of specific interest and we were shown a variety of such items as part of the visit e.g. anatomical drawings by Phoebe Ann Traquair to illustrate her husband’s scientific papers on fossils. We were also shown some of the items in the Book Cellar and there was a discussion about weeding the collection, what types of subjects and material went out-of-date most quickly (children’s non-fiction books) and how they decided what to keep in terms of Special Collections and what to pass on elsewhere.

Lovely to be almost 'back'

A long time ago in the history of mankind I used to have a placement in the Museum Library at Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery in Glasgow, back in the days when it was in the basement beside the joiner’s workshop and lots of glass cases of taxidermy long before its own redevelopment. Back in the days when I used to browse the Museums Journal in search of Scottish Museum Library jobs (as rare then as they are now!). So I went down a different path. But, as such I utterly adored my visit to NMS Research Library.  It felt like very familiar territory, good to be back, full of fabulous, interesting and fascinating things.

Unfortunately it’s only open in Edinburgh when I’m in work in Glasgow alas, otherwise I could see myself being in a lot now I’ve found it! But it is a lovely place and I’ve been making lots of use of their very good catalogue for when I finally do manage to get back in! Lots of lovely items in!

So many thanks to ARLIS and SVAG for organising the visits to this (and to the Scottish National Portrait Gallery Library – see my previous post on) and Mark Glancy at NMS who put aside such a lot of things to show us.