A new exhibition has opened on the Mezzanine at Central Library showing a series of 30 etchings depicting the story of Don Quixote by Scottish artist, William Strang. The exhibition is presented by the Victor Murphy Trust and is on show until 29 August 2026. Don't miss it! zurl.co/BKY1Z

Save the Date! The 2026 Portobello Book Festival will run from 2nd to 4th October. portobellobookfestival.com/2026/08/04/s...

Save the Date! The 2026 Portobello Book Festival will run from 2nd to 4th October.

The Portobello Book Festival organising committee has been busy planning this year’s festival and as always, we have a fantastic line-up for you! So save the dates – this year’s f…

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Oxgangs Library have just announced a very exciting author event coming soon... Bestselling Scottish crime writer, Denise Mina will join them on Monday 24 August at 6.30pm to discuss her works and the #TartanNoir genre. This is sure to be a popular event - book your free place at zurl.co/19aXx

In Conversation with Denise Mina

Eventbrite - Oxgangs Library presents In Conversation with Denise Mina - Monday, August 24, 2026 at Oxgangs Library, Edinburgh, Edinburgh. Find event and ticket information.

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Seaside, Riverside, Treeside – a new exhibition of drawings and paintings by Julie Galante has opened in the Art and Design Library zurl.co/6pDBv

Seaside, Riverside, Treeside – Art and Design Library exhibition, August 2026

Seaside, Riverside, Treeside, an exhibition of artwork of Scotland by Julie Galante is on display in the Art and Design Library at Central Library until 29 August 2026. The paintings and drawings a…

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In this National Year of Reading, we've been asking colleagues and library members - "How do you Go All In for Reading?" In our latest blog article, avid reader and Central Library book group member, Bob, shares his love of reading - zurl.co/JtfBU #NationalYearOfReading

Don't miss the lovely Picturing Reading display on the staircase at Central Library - it celebrates the #NationalYearOfReading and shows how the act of reading has been portrayed in art and design. zurl.co/RTtTr

Step back to 2015 and a beautiful summer’s evening in Figgate Park! #ThrowbackThursday thanks to Deborah Holloway and colleagues in Parks for sharing this stunning photo on Edinburgh Collected. Do you have any pictures of summer in Edinburgh you can add to help our archive grow? zurl.co/aoXRI

Are you an Aussie expat? We've just added The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age to our PressReader newspaper service. Read the news from home for free! www.edinburgh.gov.uk/pressreader

Soon - the curtain will rise again at the King’s Theatre! We're looking forward to the reopening of the King's Theatre and we've delved into our collections to find items telling the story of its history and to create a small display in the Edinburgh and Scottish Collection. zurl.co/XFLFJ

We’re taking a trip to the seaside today with a preloved postcard of Portobello from the 1930s! At the centre (in the crease) is Mr and Mrs Hunter whose family owned the donkeys. Picture memory thanks to Living Memory Association on Edinburgh Collected, our community archive - zurl.co/iniSl

Thinking of researching your #FamilyHistory? There are spaces available on our beginners' session at Central Library next Thursday 30 July at 2pm. Come along to find out how to use the library's free resources. Contact us via informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk to book your place!

Anyone for ice cream? Read the story of an Italian immigrant who arrived in Scotland c1900 and went on to establish one of Scotland’s best known ice cream family businesses. zurl.co/Ucl6M With thanks to S. Luca of Musselburgh for helping to make this story available on #OurTownStories

Have you seen our current Capital Collections exhibition? It brings together watercolour paintings by James Steuart - lively street scenes to rural landscape views. Many date from the 1920s giving a fantastic perspective on Edinburgh around a century ago. Browse them all at zurl.co/BYVbC

Thinking of starting your family tree?🌳🔎 Come to our beginners’ #FamilyHistory session at Central Library to learn about the free resources that can help with your research! Our next session is on Thursday 30 July at 2pm. Book your place by emailing informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk

Our #ThrowbackThursday takes us back one hundred years and finds members of the Leith Boys Brigade on a summer camp. Photo thanks to Living Memory Association. Do you have any pictures of summer holidays in Edinburgh to share on our community archive?

They think it’s all over… we look back at World Cup stories from the past where the home nations were taking part with the help of the British Newspaper Archive... zurl.co/mJSUV

They think it’s all over…

With the 2026 World Cup drawing to an end on Sunday we’ve been looking in the pages of the British Newspaper Archive at some of the stories from the tournament that made the news over the yea…

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The @readingagency.bsky.social Summer Reading Challenge for children is under way in all our libraries! Children aged 4 to 11 are invited to take up the #SummerReadingChallenge to read six books during the holidays. Sign up at any of our libraries to enjoy a summer of fun and reading! ⁠

Applications for the 2027 New Writers Awards are now open! Our year-long mentoring programme supports new writers to hone their skills. You'll receive a £2,500 cash award, a week at Moniack Mhor, and the chance to showcase work to publishers and agents 📚 Closing date - Wed 29 July

For the #NationalYearOfReading, Aynsley from Oxgangs Library takes a turn in our blog series, and shares how he Goes All In for reading! #GoAllIn zurl.co/OYRhO

Looking for some holiday reading? Try one of the new library books highlighted by our Resources Team. Reserve a copy online and pick up at a library near you! zurl.co/HpLw3

Can't make it to the library today? Borrow Summer Reading Challenge ebooks and audiobooks on Libby Kids & Teens! www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libbykids

Get your children reading over the school holidays with Libby Kids & Teens! www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libbykids

Children and teens now have their own Libby site! Find out how to borrow ebooks, audiobooks and magazines today. zurl.co/anafm

This month's Talking Books Book Club audiobook is available for you to borrow now - The Margaret Code . Meet the detective duo you'll never forget! zurl.co/3nITI

Read our latest blog post to find out about our latest exhibition and the research undertaken to learn more about the artist and author, James Steuart. zurl.co/MRTUS

James Steuart’s sketching days

A new Capital Collections exhibition brings together watercolour paintings from the Edinburgh and Scottish Collection by the amateur artist, James Steuart. Steuart’s paintings dated between c…

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How do you #GoAllIn for reading? Over on the blog, another reader shares their love of reading and, amidst a busy life, audiobooks. #NationalYearOfReading2026 zurl.co/3eF7b

National Year of Reading: How do you Go All In for reading?

In this National Year of Reading we’re asking colleagues and library members to join us as we Go All In for Reading by sharing their love of reading. We’ve posed a series of questions a…

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Visit the Art and Design Library at Central Library this month to see 'Guiding Light', a collection of stunning photographs by blind artist and photographer, Debbie Lobo. zurl.co/kWxjM

Guiding Light: photographs by Debbie Lobo – Art and Design Library, July 2026

Guiding Light is an exhibition of remarkable photographs by the blind artist and photographer, Debbie Lobo. The exhibition is on show in the Art and Design Library from 2 to 30 July 2026. Debbie in…

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#OnThisDay renowned architect, Robert Adam was born in 1728. Find out about Robert, his father William, and brothers in a story on Our Town Stories describing their lives and impressive Edinburgh buildings using pictures from architectural 'copybooks' held at Central Library. zurl.co/kwPvh

We're so delighted that the University of Exeter Chapel Choir will be stopping off at the Mezzanine at Edinburgh Central Library this Saturday as part of their 2026 Edinburgh and Glasgow tour! Join us on Saturday 4 July at 1pm Book your free ticket via Ticketsource - zurl.co/t5w1a

On this, #NationalCameraDay read our short story on Our Town Stories and discover Edinburgh’s place in the history of photography zurl.co/lUxop