Guide for librarians

Document supply services to other libraries are managed by the Reference Services Team at the National Library of Scotland. Visit the document supply pages to find out how to make a request and what services we offer, and to see the price list.

You can consult our Main catalogue online. We also have other catalogues and databases that you might find useful. Browsed all of these catalogues. 

Some of our eResources (formerly called licensed digital collections) are only available to visitors to our reading rooms in Edinburgh or, from 14 September 2016, in Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. Others are available to use from any computer with internet access if you have a library card or if you register online and your main address is in Scotland.

A national project was carried out to preserve fragile, historic local newspapers by copying them to microfilm and increasing access to their content through local libraries. NEWSPLAN Scotland, one of 10 regional offices, is based at the National Library of Scotland.

The National Library of Scotland is part of the global reference network that provides an online service for general reference enquiries. One of the key elements of the Ask a Librarian service is that an enquiry may be forwarded to another library in the network, if its resources make it better placed to answer the query.

Rare Books in Scotland (RBiS) is a forum for staff in Scottish libraries and other organisations who are responsible for collections of rare books. The forum is affiliated to SCURL and facilitated by the National Library of Scotland. New members are always welcome.

If you are interested in the scope of our collections, you'll find links on the policy documents page to PDF documents covering our various collection policies. Also on this page is our cataloguing policies document and the full text of the National Library of Scotland's strategy document and corporate plan.

Find out about visiting us in Edinburgh or Glasgow, from opening hours and accessibility to how to access our reading rooms:

George IV Bridge, Edinburgh 

Maps Reading Room, Edinburgh

Moving Image Library, Glasgow

If you plan to use our reading rooms, you may need information about things like:

• Copying services
• Photocopying charges
• Library cards

You can get in touch through our online enquiry service. Alternatively, visit our contacts page for postal addresses, and phone and fax numbers for our two buildings with public access.