The Special Collections Reading Room will be closed 10am to 1pm on Wednesday 16 September. It will then reopen until our usual closing time of 7pm.

National Library of Scotland

What's on

Find out about our events and exhibitions in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and online.

Clear

Treasures of the National Library of Scotland

Exhibition
Permanent
A person walking into the Treasures exhibition.

Peter Liversidge: The Rules of the Library

Display
5 February to 19 December 2026
The mezzanine of the General Reading Room with the 'The Rules of the Library' artwork on display.

Paperback Revolutions

Exhibition
28 May to 24 October 2026
A black and white photo of a woman next to a large shelf of books which have been coloured.

Rain

Exhibition
19 June 2026 to 30 April 2027
Words from a page raining down on a woman holding an umbrella.

Open shelves: Red skies and contrary winds

Display
10 July to 30 September 2026
A scene from 'Macbeth' with three witches raising their arms at Macbeth who is riding a horse.

Open Book

Reading
14 September 2026, 10:15AM to 11:15AM
A group of people sitting around a table reading books.

Scots language bookbug

Workshop
14 September 2026, 10:30AM to 11:00AM
The bookbug on a purple background.

Doors Open Day: Glasgow goes out to the pictures

Fair, Display, Doors Open Days
16 to 19 September 2026
Black and white photo of the old ABC 1 cinema on Sauchiehall St, Glasgow.

Glasgow cinema city

Fully booked
Talk, Screening, Doors Open Days
16 September 2026, 6:00PM to 7:00PM
Painting depicting a street view outside a cinema.

Gaelic bookbug

Workshop
17 September 2026, 10:30AM to 11:00AM
The bookbug on a yellow background.

Doors Open Day: Behind the scenes tours

Fully booked
Tour, Doors Open Days
17 September 2026, 10:30AM to 1:00PM
A curator reaching for a tape on a rolling archive shelf.

Welcome to the Library tours

Tour
17 September 2026, 3:00PM to 3:30PM
The outside of the Library building on George IV Bridge, also showing the people on the footpath outside and traffic on the road.