You’ve made it to our grand finale: Edinburgh University Library! Go on, take a good look at this striking eight-storey building ahead of you-the Main Library of the University of Edinburgh, and, believe it or not, once the largest university library in the entire UK. You might notice it looks a bit like an enormous bookcase. That’s not a coincidence. When architects J.M. Marshall and Andrew Merrylees designed it in the swinging sixties, they wanted its exterior to mimic the very thing it houses: row upon row of stories and knowledge. And at one acre per floor, this place holds more paper than the world’s untidiest office.
But let’s rewind-for a dramatic plot twist-because the story of Edinburgh’s library began even before the university itself, back in 1580. Picture the city of Edinburgh shrouded in mist, and out comes Clement Littill, an advocate who left behind 276 theological books. For these, the University would always owe him a debt-although, luckily, they never tried to pay him overdue fines. The university officially opened three years later, with Littill’s bequest already forming its precious first collection.
In those early days, the faculty was only five: the Principal and four regents, galloping students through a curriculum of Aristotle, logic, metaphysics and all sorts of topics that would make coffee a necessity. By 1637, the collection had already grown to over 2,400 books. But it wasn’t until 1827 that William Playfair’s ‘Upper Library’ at Old College became its next home, and then, in 1967, the current Main Library arrived in George Square-this very spot, chosen for being, they claimed, “the quietest place in the square.” For a library, location is everything. Near coffee, but not too near the party.
The library’s collections are like a treasure chest for book lovers and historians. There are 1,200 incunabula-those are books printed before 1501-plus 9,000 from the 1500s, and remarkable tracts from the German Reformation. Special Collections include two troves from legendary Shakespeare scholar James Halliwell-Phillipps: drama, intrigue, rare finds-everything but a lost play!
And there’s a modern twist, too. Today, the library holds digital research projects like “The Making of the Queen’s Manuscript,” dedicated to medieval writer Christine de Pizan, run right here-partly by the French section and by the Special Collections department.
So here you stand, in the presence of millions of stories, surrounded by some of the richest knowledge in all of Scotland. Remember, every page inside has its own adventure... and hopefully, not too many overdue fines. Thanks for joining me on this tour-now, are you ready to dive in and lose yourself in a good book? Or at least find the café?
If you're curious about the collections, main library building or the librarians of the university of edinburgh, the chat section below is the perfect place to seek clarification.
