Scotland eschews Polonius

Inconceivable

Scotland today benefits from over 550 permanently sited public lending libraries and 93 mobile libraries. No one in Scotland is too remote to avail him or herself of the opportunities for instruction and recreation offered by the library service.

Roughly 42 million items are loaned each year from Scotland's Public Libraries: not just books but magazines, videos, CDs, DVDs and software for the latest computer games. Polonius would have had a fit! And goodness knows what he would have made of the 2428 terminals that the People's Network, a New Opportunities Fund scheme to provide free access to the Internet and on-line learning resources, is implementing across Scotland.

Of course these days it's amazing to think of it any other way. But it wasn't always so. What libraries there were for many centuries were either private or closed to members of the clergy or the universities.

Scotland's oldest public lending libraries go back more than three centuries, the first being Innerpeffray Library, established as part of a school by David Drummond, 3rd Lord Madertie in 1680. The Kirkwall Publick Bibliotheck in Orkney followed in 1683 and the Leighton Library, part of Dunblane Cathedral, was founded in 1684.

The National Library – sited on George IV Bridge in Edinburgh – although not constituted as such until 1925 – traces its origins back to the historic Library of the Faculty of Advocates which opened in 1689. The Copyright Act of 1710 gave the library the right and privilege to claim a copy of every book published in Great Britain and today holds over 7 million printed items as well as a large collection of manuscripts.

The poet Allan Ramsay, established a circulating library in the Luckenbooths of Edinburgh in 1725 and it was in the mining village of his birth – Leadhills – that the oldest subscription library in the UK was founded in 1741. The second oldest was founded in the neighbouring village of Wanlockhead in 1756. These miners' libraries were made good use of and must have meant a great deal to the workers and their families, offering some the chance to escape from such a hard life through 'self-improvement'. Airdrie, in Lanarkshire, also has a long tradition of self-education and a subscription library was set up in 1792.

But it wasn't until the Public Libraries Act of 1853, whereby the way was paved for Public Libraries to be funded by local taxation for the benefit of all, that any real momentum took place. And even then growth at first was slow and there were strong pockets of uproar that taxes should be used in such a way!

It was Dunfermline-born Andrew Carnegie, who emigrated to Pennsylvania and became the wealthiest man in the world, who really moved things on by giving generous grants to build libraries. He helped to establish 2500 libraries throughout the world – and his generosity started back home in Scotland where many of his libraries also benefit from the most elegant architecture and solid stone construction. The first Carnegie library was opened in 1883 in Dunfermline; Edinburgh's magnificent Central Library was opened in 1890; and in 1901 Carnegie donated £100,000 to set up a branch network of libraries in Glasgow in recognition of what the city "had done in municipal affairs to help educate other cities".

Today the wealth of libraries in Scotland is truly impressive and 150 years of Public Libraries were celebrated at Edinburgh Castle on 14th January by Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Frank McAveety MSP – follow link: http://www.slainte.org.uk/news/Archive/0401/castle/castle.htm

And when delegates of the 68th International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions met in Glasgow 15 months ago, the itinerary of libraries they were given to visit in Scotland's central belt displayed that wealth. Below is a brief summary of a selection of libraries with links you can follow. And watch this space for a forthcoming feature on Scotland's National Archives.

National Archives of Scotland, Edinburgh
http://www.nas.gov.uk
One of the most varied collections of records in Britain, spanning the 12th to the 21st centuries. Records touch on virtually every aspect of Scottish life and it is the main archive for sources on the history of Scotland as a separate Kingdom.

National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh
http://www.nls.uk
The world's leading repository for the printed and manuscript record of Scotland's history and culture, and the legal deposit library for Scotland. It holds over 7 million printed items and a large collection of manuscripts.

Central Library, Edinburgh
http://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libraries
Andrew Carnegie's Central Library with its renowned series of subject collections and unique local studies archives.

Mitchell Library, Glasgow
http://www.mitchelllibrary.org
One of the largest public reference libraries in Europe with approx. 1.5 million books and unique, specialist collections, including that of Robert Burns.

Dunfermline Carnegie Library
http://www.dunfermline.fsnet.co.uk/pictures/library.htm
The first of Andrew Carnegie's libraries, built in his birthplace.

Edinburgh University Library
http://www.lib.ed.ac.uk
One of the largest academic library buildings in Europe.

Glasgow Caledonian University Library
http://www.gcal.ac.uk
Includes special collections of Scottish labour movement history and South African studies.

Glasgow University Library
http://www.gla.ac.uk
Special collections include the Hunterian Collection, many medieval manuscripts and early printed books.

Napier University Library, Edinburgh
http://www.napier.ac.uk
Napier University was founded in 1992, though its origins go back to several constituent colleges. The library at the Merchiston Learning Centre contains the Edward Clark Collection, some 5,000 items illustrating the development of printing, binding and the book from the 16th century onwards.

Stirling University Library
http://www.stir.ac.uk
Special collections include the John Grierson and Lindsay Anderson archives on documentary film.

Andersonian Library, University of Strathclyde
http://www.strath.ac.uk
The library has a reputation for research into innovation in electronic information provision and delivery.

Edinburgh College of Art
http://www.lib.eca.ac.uk
A total stock of around 100,000 items and extensive visual resource and map collections.

Glasgow School of Art
http://www.gsa.ac.uk
At the heart of the campus is architect Charles Rennie Mackintosh's famous masterwork, now known as the Mackintosh Building. The GSA Archives, newly housed in a Research Centre, reach back to the 18th century, with Mackintosh material as a particular strength.

Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama
http://www.rsamd.ac.uk
The Whittaker Library is particularly strong in Scottish music and performance materials.

Royal Botanic Garden Library, Edinburgh
http://www.rbge.org.uk
One of the UK's largest botanical libraries, it specialises in systematic botany, with material on garden history and design, conservation and botanical illustration and exploration.

Royal College of Physicians Library, Edinburgh
http://www.rcpe.ac.uk/library/index.html
The library has many rare and unique items of scientific interest and historical importance and a collection of 50,000 printed monographs.

Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow
http://www.rcpsglasg.ac.uk
A collection of some 35,000 books, and college archives dating back to 1602, as well as the papers of local medical societies and notable local medical practitioners.

Scottish Poetry Library
http://www.spl.org.uk
With an emphasis on work from Scotland from the 20th-21st centuries, the collection is housed in new award-winning premises in the centre of Edinburgh.

Leighton Library
http://www.dunblanecathedral.org.uk/leightonlibrary.htm

Innerpeffray Library
http://www.strathearn.com/pl/innerpeffray.htm

Leadhills & Wanlockhead community libraries
http://www.gowanbank99.freeserve.co.uk/website/leadhills/library.html
http://www.leadminingmuseum.co.uk