Edinburgh Libraries

On 30 November 2026 we’re changing our opening hours so that more people across the city can use our library services. Our new opening hours can be found here zurl.co/2BGxG

Our #ThrowbackThursday shows the prefabs on Calder Terrace in Sighthill in 1955. Built in 1946, the ARCON structures were the first of two types of prefab on the estate. Photo shared by Stuart Laidlaw on Edinburgh Collected. Help us record history by sharing your photos too! - zurl.co/zASYV

Thinking of tracing your family tree, but not sure where to start? Come along to our beginners’ #FamilyHistory session at Central Library to find out about the free library resources that can help. Next session is Thursday 29 October at 2pm. Book by emailing informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk

Oxgangs Library have 3 fantastic space-themed talks from the Royal Observatory Edinburgh coming soon! Come along to hear about the Extremely Large Telescope, space telescopes and star clusters, or looking 13 billion years into the past... Book your free tickets via Eventbrite - zurl.co/iGWAX

We're marking a big achievement having reached a combined total of over 10,000 memories and scrapbooks added to our community archive, Edinburgh Collected 🎉 We're grateful to all our contributors and look forward to seeing how the community archive grows over the coming years! zurl.co/LpEGw

Our latest addition to Our Town Stories is a collaboration with Colinton Local History Society. Read the #Craiglockhart story to discover the people, places and events that have shaped the area's history - zurl.co/7vLAK

If you haven't discovered it already, we can't recommend enough the @Edinburgh Central Library 's Music on the Mezzanine programme of Saturday concerts. Check out the programme and please note, a change to the performance on Saturday 7 November when Little Big Horns will step in zurl.co/naz1j

Save the date! We’re looking forward to attending this year's #FamilyHistory Fair hosted by Historic Environment Scotland Archives & Library. Come along to find out how the various archives and services can help your family history research. 🗓️ Fri 6 Nov, 10am to 4pm - zurl.co/GPt9V

Next in our #NationalYearOfReading series, Joanne, one of the wonderful readers at South Queensferry Library tells us how she Goes All In! "I read every day. I read the news and magazines. I love the feel of a book and I especially love audiobooks as I can work or sew while listening." zurl.co/svBb3

Visit Central Library to see 'Edinburgh' by Ophelia Ray Lester, an astounding 6ft by 3ft hyper-detailed ink drawing of the city, packed with historical, supernatural and mythical references. It will be on display until the end of November 2026. zurl.co/8skl4

Can you write a story in just 50 words? We are partnering with @specsaversuk.bsky.social for a special edition of our 50 Word Fiction comp! Primary pupils can write their own Optomonster story, inspired by the friendly monsters who make eye tests fun. www.scottishbooktrust.com/training-and...

Edinburgh Libraries aims to help charities and voluntary groups As funding continues to be a constant challenge for charities and community groups, the city's library service has stepped in with an offer of practical help....

Dreamscapes and cityscapes – a new exhibition of paintings by Michael McGovern is on display in the Art and Design Library at Central Library until 30 October 2026. Don't miss it! zurl.co/bOjN8

Oxgangs Library have a fantastic programme lined up for the October break next week including a free planetarium show with the Royal Observatory on Friday 16 October! This event is suitable for ages 5 and up with adult supervision. Contact Oxgangs Library to book your place! zurl.co/5z450

We’ve collaborated with the Colinton Local History Society for our latest addition to Our Town Stories – a history of Craiglockhart, or Happy Valley, as part of it was once known. Follow the digital trail to discover this area of Edinburgh afresh! zurl.co/wtyxQ

Edinburgh Women's Fiction Festival bring taster sessions to Central Library next week! There are still a few tickets available on Tuesday 29 September for 4.45pm – author talk with Heather Darwent 6.15pm – author talk with Sara Sheridan. Don't delay, book your free place at zurl.co/2uITg

Have you seen our S G Jackman exhibition on Capital Collections? - zurl.co/5epXg It features newly-acquired material giving views of Edinburgh in the 1950s and 60s. Some images are sadly affected by ‘Vinegar Syndrome’ but are included as they show a period under-represented in our collections.

Writing well and failing - join Leith Library for this special author event with Ely Percy and Lucy Ribchester on Wednesday 30 September at 6pm. Ely Percy will talk about setbacks, perseverance and the perception of literary success. Don't miss out - book your free ticket at zurl.co/UCwLm

Join our Macmillan @ Edinburgh Libraries Team for a Macmillan Coffee Morning (in the afternoon) this coming Friday 💚 🍰🍵 Find them in The Rose Garden at Saughton Park from 12 noon till 3pm on Friday 25 September and help raise funds to support people in the UK living with cancer.

Want to trace your family tree, but not sure where to start? Come to our beginners’ #FamilyHistory session at Central Library to learn about the free resources that can help with your research. Thursday 24 September at 2pm Book your place by emailing informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk

South Queensferry Library will be closed for a programme of essential building maintenance from Monday 28 September 2026 for five weeks. During the Library's closure, book reservations must be collected from an alternative library and books can be returned to any library. Sorry for any convenience.

A lovely picture of the National Monument at sundown taken ten years ago is today’s #ThrowbackThursday. Photo thanks to alliemerrill – “No matter the weather, the panoramic views can not be beat”. Share your photos on Edinburgh Collected and help us record history, today! zurl.co/UWUVL

Have you made your pledge to join Scotland’s Wee Read on 7 October? Every type of reading counts - it could be a novel, comic, magazine, newspaper, audiobook, poem, or recipe. The Wee Read is an invitation to stop, take a few minutes, and find a moment of joy in reading. zurl.co/gjDDd #WeeRead26

Join us this Thursday 17 Sept at Central Library for the Edinburgh Local Heritage Network Fair 2026! Drop in from 10am to 4pm to chat to representatives from 16 local heritage groups about what they do to help preserve Edinburgh's local heritage, and discover how you can get involved!

Edinburgh Women’s Fiction Festival taster sessions are coming to Central Library on Tues 29 Sept 3pm - writing workshop with Angela Jackson 4.45pm – author talk with Heather Darwent 6.15pm – author talk with @sarasheridan.bsky.social Don't miss out - book your place at zurl.co/72lkU

Get ready for the Wee Read on 7 October! Find inspiration for the big day relaxing in Central Library’s giant Wee Read deck chair on Saturday 12th September. Lose yourself in a story. Learn something new. Have a laugh. Escape for a while. Make your Wee Read pledge today: zurl.co/vBSP0 #WeeRead26

Get ready for the Wee Read on 7 October! Find inspiration for the big day relaxing in Central Library’s giant Wee Read deck chair on Friday 11 and Saturday 12 September. Lose yourself in a story. Learn something new. Escape for a while. Make your Wee Read pledge today: zurl.co/ljR06 #WeeRead26

Today’s wonderful #ThrowbackThursday shows Dr Bell’s School Brass Band posing in neat rows sometime in the 1930s. It’s a photograph by JR Coltart of 8 Dalmeny Street in Leith and 18 London Road studios, and is kindly shared on Edinburgh Collected by the Living Memory Association - zurl.co/1sVfw

A new exhibition on Capital Collections shows off part of a donation from the estate of commercial photographer, S G Jackman. We were delighted to receive this donation of negatives, prints and his meticulous notebooks. See more of S G Jackman’s photos of Edinburgh at zurl.co/mkDtV

Visit Central Library to see Plus ça change, a unique 3D installation comprising hand-cut miniature paper silhouettes set against 100+ fragments of ephemera collected over a 25-year period of living in Edinburgh! The artwork by Eriko Kono is on display until 29 September 2026. zurl.co/LNOM6

Save the date! Our Macmillan @ Edinburgh Libraries Team will be hosting a Macmillan Coffee Morning (in the afternoon) - and you're invited 💚 🍰🍵 Join them in The Rose Garden at Saughton Park from 12 noon till 3pm on Friday 25 Sept to help raise funds to support people in the UK living with cancer.

Will you join us for a Wee Read? On 7 October 2026, people across Scotland will come together for one shared moment to celebrate the joy of reading and the positive difference it can make to our wellbeing, learning and everyday lives. zurl.co/aPaQg #WeeRead2026

The stories we walk through, a new painting exhibition by Angel Kwan has just opened in the Art and Design Library at Central Library - don't miss these colourful paintings inspired by Scotland, memory and everyday joy - zurl.co/ATm1T

Get unlimited access to Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone this September. Download the ebook and audiobook versions in multiple languages from Libby Kids & Teens. Available through the Libby app and Kids & Teens website www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libbykids

We've an exciting programme of events for September! The fabulous Music on the Mezzanine programme has returned to Central Library and there are Read Around shared reading sessions as well as a golden hour of live music and poetry at The Secret Library... Find out what's on at zurl.co/sfmFx

Today we step back to the Old Town in August 1955! #ThrowbackThursday thanks to the Living Memory Association. Can you share your old photos on Edinburgh Collected and help us record the city’s past? zurl.co/s9GrI

Ssshhh... step into a golden hour of live music and poetry at The Secret Library, an intimate evening coming soon to @Oxgangs Library. Monday 21 September at 6pm Book your free ticket via Eventbrite for this special evening of entertainment - zurl.co/2IGzr

How many of Edinburgh's castles do you know..? Our new historical tour on Our Town Stories takes you round the city to many forgotten former castles from Edinburgh’s past. zurl.co/BePkl

Read the McIlvanney Prize longlist for best Scottish crime book of the year on Libby www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libby

Our #ThrowbackThursday takes us back to school c1940 at Couper Street School in Leith. The school building was demolished in the 1980s but the old gate posts can still be seen on Coburg Street. Thanks to Living Memory Association. Share your picture memories of school days too! zurl.co/ZRriJ

Read the Booker Prize longlist on Libby from Edinburgh Libraries! www.edinburgh.gov.uk/libby

Our Writers of Edinburgh virtual tour highlights authors who have helped put #Edinburgh on the literary map through their connections to the city or because Edinburgh plays a central role in their books. Follow the virtual trail on Our Town Stories - zurl.co/m4lOz

🖥️ Free digital support sessions at Central Library! 📅 Tues 18th & 25th Aug, 2:30-4:30pm Bring your own device and get help with email, internet, apps, staying safe online & more from @lloydsbankinggroup.bsky.social volunteers Book: getonline@edinburgh.gov.uk / 07716 702180 Drop-ins also welcome

Bronwen from the Art and Design Library is the latest person to share her love of reading in our #NationalYearOfReading blog series. "The library opens a world to places you’ll never travel to, people you’ll never meet, and times – past and future – that you can’t live through." zurl.co/3nCD3

Happy 180th birthday, Scott Monument! #OnThisDay 15 Aug 1846, the weather was 'dirty, damp and disagreeable' but that didn't discourage the crowds of people who came to see the procession for the Monument's inauguration. Explore more pictures from Edinburgh's past on www.capitalcollections.org.uk

There are more Bitesize learning sessions supporting parents and carers coming soon to our libraries - zurl.co/Qgty6

What’s your story? Come along to our beginners’ #FamilyHistory session and find out how to get started using the library's free online and print resources. Our next session is on Thursday 27 August at 2pm at Central Library. Book your place by emailing informationdigital@edinburgh.gov.uk

Entertaining the crowds in 2017, a street performer balances on a plank of wood, on top of a step ladder, on cobbles… If you’re out and about this August, share your Festival pictures to Edinburgh Collected and help the archive grow! #ThrowbackThursday thanks to Will o’ the Wisp zurl.co/kdEh3

Looking for some holiday reading? Take a chance on some new library books recommended by our Resources Team - zurl.co/61jS1

Our latest addition to Our Town Stories, gives you a glimpse to Edinburgh's historic past, castle by castle... zurl.co/8qFHu