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Scotland’s living memory. If you can think of it, we probably have it.

27/10/2026

"You shan't make canticles of my cantos. The poem will please if it is lively – if it is stupid it will fail – but I will have none of your damned cutting & slashing." 📜

When Lord Byron sent the first canto of 'Don Juan' to his publisher John Murray II, his friends declared it "impossible to publish." The poem laughed at religion, attacked fellow poets, and mocked Byron's estranged wife.

So how did he do it? Publish it with no author or publisher name on the title page. Murray wrote to Byron the day after publication: "Having fired the bomb – here I am out of the way of the explosion."

The reviews were scathing. But the scandal boosted sales, and the anonymity left the field wide open for pirate copies, one of which finally put Byron's name on the title page.

✒️ Curator Kirsty McHugh explores the history of Byron's "impossible" poem in our new long read > https://www.nls.uk/collections/stories/printing-and-publishing/lord-byrons-impossible-manuscript-don-juan/

22/10/2026

An unexpected visitor arrives at the Library, searching for books he believed lost to time 🧙‍♂️

In 'The Magician's Memoir', an original illustrated short story by Sam Fern from our Visitor Services team, Merlin navigates membership registration, reading rooms, archive requests and special collections - all while reflecting on centuries of memories and adventures.

Blending gentle humour, fantasy and genuine details of how people engage with our collections, the story explores themes of memory, preservation and the enduring value of books. Accompanied by beautiful illustrations by Tom Humberstone, it's a warm, imaginative tale that invites readers to see the Library as a place where stories, history and a little magic meet.

Read it on our website > https://www.nls.uk/collections/stories/life-in-the-library/the-magicians-memoir/

20/10/2026

Before the broomstick, there was the oven fork 🧹🍴

This woodcut is the earliest known printed image of witches in flight, and it offers a glimpse into a dark chapter of Scottish history. From the 16th to 18th centuries, a moral panic swept the nation, leading to nearly 4,000 people - predominantly women - being accused of witchcraft.

Images like this one, circulated in printed books and pamphlets, played a powerful role in stereotyping and vilifying vulnerable people. It’s a haunting reminder of the human cost of fear and rejection.

See this and more on display in our Treasures exhibition.

15/10/2026

100 years of Winnie the Pooh 🍯

See the first edition of Winnie the Pooh, published in 1926, on display now.

🌧️ Rain
📌 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh
🗓️ Until April 2027
🎟️ Free

15/10/2026

"I shall always try and stay a Murray author." ✍️

Noni Jabavu was a Black South African author, broadcaster and editor whose career unfolded across Britain and Africa. Her two memoirs, 'Drawn in Colour' (1960) and 'The Ochre People' (1963), brought reflections on African life to readers around the world.

In our latest long read, correspondence preserved in our John Murray Archive reveals the story behind her books. Drawing on letters between Jabavu and her editors, Dr. Siyabonga Njica explores the relationships, experiences and global journeys that shaped her literary career.

The archive shows Jabavu as an author in the midst of composition - weighing book titles, revising painful memories, and responding thoughtfully to editorial advice. It also reveals the family members who helped bring her books into being. Her father, D.D.T. Jabavu, answered questions and clarified details even from his hospital bed. Her husband and daughter read, commented on, and corrected drafts.

'The Ochre People's life extended well beyond its printed pages. In Washington, D.C., a reception hosted by the Liberian Ambassador drew over 200 people, many clutching copies for her to autograph. Yet in South Africa, that same book faced the threat of censorship, with one publisher warning that copies arriving in their existing form were likely to be banned.

The archive also introduces us to the stories that did not find their way into her books - unfinished projects, abandoned novels, and a book on "Moslem Africa" she hoped to write.

Read 'Noni Jabavu: Writing across worlds' on our website > https://www.nls.uk/collections/stories/literature-and-poetry/noni-jabavu-writing-across-worlds/

13/10/2026

The book that tried to capture a civilisation 📖

Standing more than a metre tall and filled with spectacular illustrations, 'Description de l'Égypte' is one of the most ambitious books ever produced. Published in Paris between 1809 and 1822, it attempted something unprecedented: to record Egypt's landscapes, ancient monuments, wildlife, culture and people in detail.

Born from Napoleon's invasion of Egypt, the work brought together the research of hundreds of scholars, artists and engineers. Around 400 engravers worked for two decades creating the copper plates used to print its pages. At the time, it was the largest printed work ever produced.

Our copy - acquired in 1831 - is complete with its own bespoke wooden case. Its pages helped establish modern Egyptology and sparked a centuries-long fascination with ancient Egypt.

But its story is also a complex one. The achievements of the scholars cannot be separated from the circumstances in which they took place. Their research was carried out during a military occupation and formed part of a wider European imperial project.

🏛️ Read more about the 'Description de l'Égypte' on our website > https://www.nls.uk/collections/stories/printing-and-publishing/description-de-legypte/

06/10/2026

How do we save our stories when the format keeps changing? 💾

From the 8-inch floppy discs of the 1970s - once costing a fortune in computer terms - to the ubiquitous USB drive, the way we store our memories has transformed. Our born digital archives contain lives captured on all of these, from Dorothy Dunnett’s 8” discs to James Kelman’s 3.5” floppies and Kathleen Jamie’s USB drives.

Choosing what to save on a floppy disc was a deliberate act. Today, cloud storage feels limitless, but what does that mean for the stories we choose to tell? And will future generations even be able to read the formats we use today?

Deciding what is worth keeping is a question for all of us, and it’s one our archivists are tackling head-on. Find out more about our born digital archives in our Treasures exhibition.

05/10/2026

Did you know that reading for just six minutes can reduce stress? 📖

Join us for the Wee Read this Wednesday! Drop in to hear six minutes of a book read by Library staff in our Rain exhibition. Readings every hour from 10:30am to 4:30pm.

And while you're here, have a wander. We've got short reads to browse, a Dolly Parton display, Peter Liversidge's artwork, and an exhibition on the humble paperback.

Come for six minutes. Stay for an hour. We won't judge.

📅 Wednesday, 7 October
📌 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh
🎟️ Free, drop-in

05/10/2026

Happy World Teacher Day! 🍎

From online workshops that guide Advanced Higher students through using our catalogue for their dissertations, to self-guided visits and staff-led tours, we offer a range of ways to bring the Library into your classroom - or your classroom into the Library.

Students can explore historic treasures from our collections, learn about conservation, discover the history of our buildings, and practise independent study in our Discovery Room.

And for teachers and school librarians, plans are underway for CLPL sessions this December.

Interested? Find out more and book a workshop, visit or tour for 2026 to 2027 on our website > https://www.nls.uk/tools-for-research/schools-and-teachers/

01/10/2026

Wondering where to get your coffee this ?

We have some maps that might be able to help... 🗺️☕

Where do you get your favourite brew from?

Address

George IV Bridge
Edinburgh
EH11EW

Opening Hours

Monday	10am - 7pm
Tuesday	10am - 7pm
Wednesday	10am - 7pm
Thursday	10am - 7pm
Friday	10am - 5pm
Saturday	10am - 5pm

Telephone

+441312264531

Website

http://www.nls.uk/

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