library - National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh, United Kingdom

On Thursday this week we're showcasing some of our favourite festive pop-up books at 3pm with curator Ian Scott. Think snowmen, angels, Christmas trees, reindeers and even Santa Claus himself This event is suitable for children and families and is free but ticketed. Sign up here > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/pop-up-christmas-tickets-128

On #StAndrewsDay here's a 'A new chart of the sea coast of Scotland with the islands thereof' (1715). Zoom in to the details at https://maps.nls.uk/view/00000518 And view thousands of fascinating historical maps at https://maps.nls.uk/

Tomorrow at 5pm scholar and poet Professor Fiona Sampson joins us for the annual Muriel Spark lecture. Professor Sampson will discuss Spark's exceptional literary intelligence and her remarkably broad career as a poet, editor, biographer, and novelist. We hope you can tune in Book here > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/muriel-spark-finding-her-for

A poppy from France alongside autographs of soldiers who served in the First World War. As displayed in an autograph album compiled by F J Cameron of Glasgow. (Acc.13976) #ArmisticeDay

Remember remember the 1st of December... because that's when we kick off our festive events programme! On Tuesday we welcome back storytellers Beverley Casebow and Anne Hunter for Festive Teatime Tales at 3pm. Cosy up with your favourite brew for family friendly stories and songs to get you in the Christmas spirit. Mince pies optional but encouraged Book your free ticket here > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/festive-teatime-tales-ticket

Following years of detailed and specialised work, we've completed the digitisation, re-animation and careful restoration of footage of Wick from the turn of the 20th century. View the Wick Kinora reels on our Moving Image Archive website > https://movingimage.nls.uk/film/4627 The Wick Society gave five Kinora reels to our Moving Image Archive about 20 years ago for protection and preservation. The Kinora was an early moving image device for which individual frames of film wer...e printed onto small cards attached to a circular core. The reel of cards like a large round flip-book was placed in a Kinora viewer and revolved by turning a handle. Deemed to be the work of local photographer John G Humphrey (18681949), the ‘Wick Kinora Reels’ contain scenes and events that are estimated to have taken place between 1897 and 1910. The footage includes ships and tugboats arriving into Wick Harbour, fishermen ‘redding’ their nets, a storm in Wick Bay, and a church parade likely marking Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee in June 1897. Developed by the Lumière brothers in 1895 (while they were simultaneously inventing the cinematograph), the Kinora was designed to allow people to enjoy short films at home. A Kinora Viewer and the original Wick Kinora Reels remain at our Moving Image Archive at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow.

Your word of the day is: GLOAMIN / GLOAMING n. ... Evening twilight, dusk. From the old English glmung, from glm ‘twilight’, related to glow. Definition via Oxford Languages and examples at Scottish Language Dictionaries > https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/gloamin Image of Loch Lomond from Balmaha by Ramon Vloon on Unsplash

Morning all. Rather foggy in Edinburgh today. It was the same story yesterday, when we took these pictures of Victoria Terrace (overlooking Victoria Street) and our Library building on George IV Bridge. Update - if you fancy a wee puzzler we've made the Victoria Terrace view into an online jigsaw puzzle > www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=3f71e584ed29

HO HO HO! This is your Christmas events update We've got some lovely festive treats lined up for you and all the family this December, including Christmassy pop-up books, wintry storytelling to cosy up with, nostalgic festive films from the Moving Image Archive, and a special event with children's author and illustrator Debi Gliori. All events are free, suitable for children and families, and happening at 3pm. For full details and tickets visit https://www.nls.uk/events.

Mike Bullock, CEO of the Northern Lighthouse Board, takes us through both the history and the present day of this remarkable organisation. If you're a fan of lighthouses and the coast, you'll love this video! Event recorded 10 November 2020.

Our lighthouse event tomorrow is going to be a real keeper . Sign up for a talk on the history of the Northern Lighthouse Board with Mike Bullock at 5pm. It's sure to - ahem - light up your afternoon! Tickets here > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/discover-the-northern-lighth

Your word of the day is: UPPLE v. adj.... Of rain or snow: to cease falling, to lay off, to clear: 'When the weather at any time has been wet and ceases to be so, we say it is uppled.' Definition by Scottish Language Dictionaries / image taken in Orkney by our lovely friends at Orkney Library & Archive. More info and examples at > https://dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/uphaud and you can also have a go at an online jigsaw made from this lovely photo at www.jigsawplanet.com/?rc=play&pid=0151e6270657

Our latest Zoom Into... blog is now live. This one is all about our local collections relating to East Renfrewshire > https://blog.nls.uk/zoom-into-east-renfrewshire/

Your word of the day is: APRICITY n.... The warmth of the sun on a chilly day As defined by Susie Dent / photo of the photogenic and much-snapped Buachaille Etive Mor (‘The Herdsman of Etive’) in Glen Etive in the Highlands - taken by Chris Combe on Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 2.0).

Browse our digital resources > www.nls.uk/digital-resources

On Tuesday next week (24 November) we're joined by Peter Ross and Dani Garavelli for an in-conversation event on Peter's new book, 'A Tomb with a View'. Described by the Herald as 'a celebration of life and of love', Peter's book illuminates the peaceful and life affirming nature of burial grounds across the UK. Book a place at this unique event here > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-tomb-with-a-view-peter-ros

**FASCINATING ONLINE EVENT ALERT** In 2018, Scottish crime writer Ian Rankin donated his literary archive to us. Over the past year Ian Rankin Project Curator Rosemary Hall has arranged and catalogued this unique and important collection of materials, discovering numerous gems along the way. In this online event, Rankin and Hall will be in conversation, illuminating individual items of interest as well as the process of archiving the materials. Thursday 17 December. Free. Book (via Eventbrite) > www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-rankin-files-lifting-the-lid-tic

Scottish artist Mary Cameron has been largely forgotten by history, but Dr Helen Scott, of the City Art Centre, Edinburgh, is on a mission to bring Mary back into the spotlight. Sign up for our webinar with Helen tomorrow at 5pm to learn all about this talented Edinburgh painter. Book here > https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/mary-cameron-life-in-paint-t