National Library of Scotland

21/08/2026

We're hiring! We're looking for passionate, skilled people to help us preserve and share Scotland's cultural heritage.

Security Officer – £29,754 (+ 20% shift allowance per annum), fixed term contract (until October 2027).
Help ensure the safety and security of visitors, staff and collections at the Library.
📅 Closes: 30/08/2026

Building Fabric Officer – £37,439, temporary (12 month contract).
Deliver building fabric projects, maintenance work, and churn across the Library estate.
📅 Closes: 09/09/26

Find out more and apply on our website > https://nls.current-vacancies.com/Careers/nls-vacancies-3310

19/08/2026

What happens when you see something you made 60 years ago in a national collection? 🗺️

In the summer of 1967, teenagers Margaret and Katy walked the farmland around Fochabers in Moray, mapping crops, distilleries, and remote paths as part of Britain's Second Land Utilisation Survey.

They were among thousands of students, teachers, and volunteers who helped document the nation's landscape – often on a shoestring budget, always in sturdy walking shoes.

Half a century later, Margaret spotted an article in The Geographer featuring a map with the same colour-coding she'd used as a student. She contacted the Library, and soon she and Katy were reunited with their work – preserved in our collections and now available to view online.

Writer Dave Coates tells their story in our new long read > https://www.nls.uk/collections/stories/maps-and-places/mapping-memory/

14/08/2026

The new series of ‘A House Through Time’ with Professor David Olusoga explores the history and life stories surrounding an 18th-century house on Calton Hill in Edinburgh. Episode 1 features some Library locations (and collection items). Find out more and view the episodes on the BBC website >

David Olusoga reveals the amazing stories of the residents of an Edinburgh house.

11/08/2026

In 1693, John Slezer published 'Theatrum Scotiae' – a book of engraved views that offered readers a new way to see Scotland, from castles and palaces to burghs and universities.

Slezer was a military engineer from the Rhineland who became Chief Engineer for Scotland. His engravings sit at the meeting point of art, maps, and architecture – and they still teach us about Scotland today.

Our maps curator Chris Fleet explores how Slezer's work shaped how Scotland was seen, then and now. Read the full story on our website > https://www.nls.uk/collections/stories/maps-and-places/john-slezer/

10/08/2026

As part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Designer Bookbinders are hosting an exhibition on contemporary bookbinding in our George IV Bridge building. Come along to see the work of bookbinders working today!

📌 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh
🗓️ 10 to 29 August 2026
🎟️ Free

05/08/2026

Did you hear our National Librarian Amina Shah on BBC Radio 6 Music this morning? https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/m002zgx4 (tune in from 1:40:02)

Amina spoke with Nick Grimshaw about a Very Specific Playlist which ties in with our exhibition, ‘Rain’, on now at our George IV Bridge building in Edinburgh.

If you’re in town, drop in to see our free exhibition and play your favourite rainy track on our record and CD player!

Wonderful music to start the day, including the Cloudbusting mix to banish the grey skies.

04/08/2026

What are the rules of a library? 📜

Acclaimed artist Peter Liversidge spent eight months researching our collections, speaking to staff, and studying library rules from around the world to create 'The Rules of the Library' – a large-scale artwork now on display in our General Reading Room at George IV Bridge.

The artwork lists 19 'rules'. Which is your favourite?

Come and see it – or read the full story behind it on our website > https://www.nls.uk/collections/stories/life-in-the-library/rewriting-the-rules/

28/07/2026

A warm welcome to Claire White, our new Shetland Scots Scriever! 🥳🎻

Claire is a songwriter and traditional fiddle player from Shetland, with a deep passion for the Shaetlan language. As Shetland Scriever, she will create original writing in Shaetlan, explore the richness of the Library's Scots collections, and promote the language in communities across Shetland.

Claire told us:
“A’m so very blyde ta hiv bön appointed da Shaetlan Scriever d’year… Wir midder tongue is dear ta mony fock an hit’s winderfil ta see it celebrated trowe dis residency.”

The 12-month Scots Scriever post is funded by Creative Scotland through the National Lottery. White will begin her residency in August 2026.

24/07/2026

Today's the day! 🎈

Oor Wullie is on his bucket, The Broons are gathered round the table, and we’re throwing open the Library for a weekend of pure nostalgia. Come see the very first Broons and Oor Wullie comic strips from 1936, the original annuals, and meet Wullie himself – all for free. Can you believe they're really 90?

📚 Friday 24 July @ National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh
🏛️ Saturday 25 July @ Kelvin Hall, Glasgow
🏢 Sunday 26 July @ DC Thomson, Dundee

22/07/2026

We're hiring! We're looking for passionate, skilled people to help us preserve and share Scotland's cultural heritage.

Head of Public Programmes – £53,853, full-time, permanent
Lead the development and delivery of our public engagement programme – covering exhibitions, events, outreach, and learning.
📅 Closes: 26/07/2026

Director of Collections Management – £77,843, full-time, permanent
Lead the teams responsible for cataloguing, conservation, preservation, acquisitions, legal deposit, and collections logistics.
📅 Closes: 02/08/2026

Scottish Bookbindings Project Cataloguer – £33,268, full-time, temporary (6 months)
Improve the catalogue descriptions of the Library’s holdings of decorative Scottish bookbindings from approximately 1680-1830.
📅 Closes: 02/08/2026

🔗 Find out more and apply on our website > https://www.nls.uk/about-us/jobs-and-opportunities/