(warning: photo heavy post!)
TUESDAY, JULY 15th - I LOVE Scotland! And our visit today to the Edinburgh Central Library did not disappoint. In fact, of all the places we've visited throughout England and Scotland, this is my favorite (hence, the number of photos from my normally photo-phobic self)!
The Central Library is a Carnegie library (remember my earlier post about Stratford?) that opened in 1890. As the name suggests, this library is located in the center of town, directly across from the NLS. A fellow classmate and I got there a little early and had a great time exploring on our own before meeting with our group to tour this amazing (both in space and service) library.
"I need to read a book."
I overheard a young boy say this (in the cutest Scottish accent) as we began our tour of the children's library. The children's library is a recently renovated space (only open about 6-8 weeks) that is AMAZING! Wonderful murals on the walls by illustrator Catherine Rayner add charm and whimsy to the rooms and bright paint colors and lights subtly accent the space which also benefits from an abundance of natural light.
The programs offered by this library (both in the children's department and elsewhere) are so inspiring. In addition to the "standard" summer reading programs and story times offered by public libraries, this library also offers a number of programs and services for dyslexic readers - both children and adults. Story times are offered in English, Polish and Gaelic and the successes of the children's area have increased the library's circulation and patron stats incredibly.
(the general "lending library" near the main entrance)
(Reference room at the top of the library - incredible architecture and an amazing amount of books)
("secret" stairs leading to gallery pictured above in the Reference room)
The Central Library is part of an extensive network of 28 brick-and-motar and a vast virtual library that serve the city of Edinburgh. Part of what's so great about that is that the population of this city is just under half a million. In contrast, Salt Lake County has just over one million people served by 24 (18 county, 6 downtown city) libraries. No matter where they are, a resident of the Edinburgh area is within 1.5 miles of a library. They also provide library services and programming to the local prison and have won awards (such as the 2012 UK library of the year) for services to the general population and the prison.
A majority of the digital services offered by this library were very familiar to me - Zinio, Overdrive and OneClick Digital are all services offered by SLCLS. However, they also offer a wonderful "book map" of the city (see it in action here, because there is no way I could do it justice!) that allows users to see certain titles related to specific areas of the city. They also offer a map that allows users to gain a unique perspective of the old and new of the city. Even if you've never been to Scotland or never plan too, their map projects is so fun to explore!
The library has grown and changed so much over the last few years, specifically because of a three-year plan (which ends 2015) and a push to make this Victorian-era Carnegie library relevant to all patrons in the 21st century. Visiting the library, either in person or via the web, it is easy to see why they are so successful - it's just a FUN place!
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