United Kingdom

Leabharlann Nàiseanta na h-Alba / National Library of Scotland

How to find us

National Library of Scotland

George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EW

Phone

01216233700

Email

enquiries@nls.uk

Director

Amina Shah

Architect

Reginald Fairlie

Designed by Reginald Fairlie in 1934-36, with construction commencing in 1937 and the building completed in 1958 (after work had been suspended during the Second World War). It is an imposing national library in a classical-Modern style with stylised bas-relief and sculptures by Hew Lorimer.

Year founded

1925

Member since

2020

Home to over 24 million printed items, around 100,000 manuscripts and more than two million maps, the National Library of Scotland is a treasure trove of information and a must-visit for all visitors to the capital looking to discover more about Scotland’s history and culture.

The Library is home to one of the world’s largest map collections including landscapes, town plans, and railway maps and the Bartholomew Archive. To learn more about the National Library of Scotland’s special collections of maps, visit here.

The National Library Moving Image Archive also forms part of the Library and is based in Hillington, near Glasgow. The Moving Image Archive has a film and video collection of over 100 years of Scotland’s history.

Featured

National Library of Scotland AI Statement

The National Library of Scotland has published an official statement on its approach to the responsible adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It will guide our decision-making on how we apply AI tools, communicate about our use of AI, collect AI-generated material, and allow our data to be used by others.

Read more

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