Did you hear our National Librarian Amina Shah on BBC Radio 6 Music this morning? 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.

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.

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.

Kelvin Hall has been many things over the last hundred years: an exhibition space, a circus venue, a transport museum, and – since 2016 – home to our moving image and sound collections.

Geologist on Shackleton's 'Endurance'. Survivor of ten months trapped in ice. Avid book collector ⛵❄️📚 Although best known for being the geologist on Shackleton's ill-fated Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, Sir James Mann Wordie was an academic, an avid book collector, and a keen mountaineer.

We're hiring! We're looking for passionate, skilled people to help us preserve and share Scotland's cultural heritage. #Jobs #LibraryJobs #HeritageCareers #ScottishCulture #EdinburghJobs

Missing octopus alert! ⚠️ Someone seems to have left their cuddly friend in our 'Rain' exhibition. Recognise them? Let us know! While we wait for octopus to be picked up, we thought we could take little octopus on an adventure... 🐙

The origin story of Penguin Books has become legend, but what really happened, and how does Agatha Christie fit into it? 🔎 As the legend goes, it all began in the autumn of 1934. Publisher Allen Lane was on a train when he came up with the concept of what would become Penguin Books.

Dreich, smirr, smugrach, and everything in between 🌧️ From Burns's 'Tam O'Shanter' to James Hutton's 'Theory of Rain', from artwork by Raasay Primary School to a documentary from 1975, our curator Sarah Mackay explores nine objects that capture how rain has soaked into the nation's imagination.

John Francis Campbell of Islay travelled across the Highlands and Islands, recording Gaelic stories, songs, and traditions at a time when they risked being lost. Born on Islay in 1821, he grew up speaking Gaelic with his family's piper.

Scotland's national film archive holds 26,000 films – from Clyde shipyards to St Andrews parades. But half are on decaying formats, and time is running out. This year's Annual Appeal is raising funds to digitise and restore them, before they're lost > auth.nls.uk/support-us/w...

250 years ago, one of Scotland's foremost scientists took a close interest in what is arguably our most famous feature: rain ☔ In 1784, the father of modern geology, James Hutton, sketched out the key principles for the "condensation of aqueous vapour contained in the air."

Looking for a ticket to Scotland v Brazil? 🎟️⚽ Here's a ticket to our last World Cup match against them in '98, which we keep safe at the National Library in Edinburgh.

Doubled up with RAIN & PAPERBACK REVOLUTIONS exhibitions at @natlibscot.bsky.social this afternoon 📚 ☔️

Did you know that Edinburgh is one of the driest cities in the UK? 🌧️ This 1967 map from our collection shows the variations in rainfall across Scotland, with the west coast getting noticeably more than the east. Come see it in person at our new exhibition, 'Rain', open now! #RainAtNLS

🌧️ Rain drops today! From James Hutton's Theory of Rain to Mackintosh coats, Tam O'Shanter to Daemonologie – explore Scotland's obsession with wet weather in our new exhibition, 'Rain'. 📅 Until 30 April 2027 📌 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh 🎟️ Free entry

It's raining men(tions) ️☔👯‍♂️ We're excited that 'Rain' has been in the headlines this week - and not just because of the weather! 🌧️ You might have heard Alison Stevenson, our Head of Collections, Access, and Research, chatting about our new exhibition 'Rain' on BBC Radio 4's Front Row last night...

What gets saved from the web – and what disappears? Join us and colleagues at the University of Edinburgh to learn how to hack, preserve, and use digital archives 🖥️ Learn how to: 🔎 See underlying web structures and metadata 🔖 Reshape how web pages display 🗺️ Navigate digital collections

📣 One week left to apply! We are seeking applications for our Scots Scriever residency - and this year, the focus is on Shetland. This is a unique opportunity for a writer to create original work in Shaetlan while championing the language across communities.

Why do action epics, horror games, and farming simulators all keep returning to libraries? In our new long read, author Sam Fern takes us on a tour through libraries in videogames, exploring libraries in: 🪝 Tomb Raider: Legend 🦇 Arkham Asylum 🗡️ Assassin's Creed: Mirage 🏰 Skyrim 📚 Animal Crossing

📣 One week left to apply! We’re looking for a Customer Relationship Management Product Manager to lead on developing our Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system to help us talk (and listen) to our audiences.

📣 Calling all Shetland writers! We are seeking applications for our Scots Scriever residency - and this year, the focus is on Shetland. This is a unique opportunity for a writer to create original work in Shaetlan while championing the language across communities.

We've just added #MoreMaps to our website 🗺️ Newly online maps provide detailed coverage of large parts of India as well as the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, Burma/Myanmar and Pakistan in the first half of the 20th century. Explore the maps > maps.nls.uk/additions/#201 #India #MapMonday

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SGSAH@sgsah.bsky.social · 3mo ago

What can rain tell us about Scotland? ☔ In the latest SGSAH blog, Sarah Mackay @smgthomson.bsky.social & Emily Munro share their forthcoming exhibition 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝗻 at the @natlibscot.bsky.social — exploring rain as shared heritage, cultural identity & connection. Read here: sgsahblog.com/2026/05/05/w...

This #MapMonday, explore this 1730 map of the Forth 🌊 Made by John Adair, the map shows the "River and Frith [sic] of Forth" - perfect for #StarWarsDay! #MayTheForthBeWithYou Explore the map > maps.nls.uk/view/543

Discover Fort William in 1800 with this detailed plan by George Langlands 🏰 The original map is owned by @westhighlandmuseum.bsky.social, who have kindly given permission for it to be shared on our map website. Explore the map > maps.nls.uk/view/270631787

You can discover the world on our maps website 🌎 If you'd like guidance on searching, comparing, printing, and annotating over 400,000 maps, book your place now for our free 'Navigating the Maps Website' webinar. 📆 3-4pm, Wednesday 29 April 📌 Free Book > www.nls.uk/whats-on/nav... #MapMonday

Teachers and educators - we have an event for you! 🍎 Join us for a free Twilight Tour of your National Library. Behind the scenes, treasures, and a look at our schools programme. Plus biscuits 🍪 📅 5-6:30pm, Wednesday 29 April 📌 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh 🎟️ Free, book at the link below

What do you do, in 15th-century Scotland, when the household priest behaves badly? If you're Isobel, Countess of Argyll, you might just write a poem about it. A very frank poem 😳

This week is your last chance to see our 'Dear Library' exhibition - and get some knitting inspo 👀

Charles West@pseudo-isidore.bsky.social · 4mo ago

What every well-dressed librarian is wearing @natlibscot.bsky.social