Information Scotland The Journal of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in Scotland ISSN 1743-5471 Issue contents | Journal contents | About the online edition of the journal October 2008 Volume 6(5)

The National Library of Scotland… on tour

In September NLS enjoyed a third successful three-day roadshow at the Carnegie Library in Ayr, after previous successes in Perth (2007) and Aberdeen (2006).

Our aim was simply to connect with Ayrshire people in their own area and to tell them of how they can benefit from NLS and Scottish Screen Archive resources and services – without necessarily coming to Edinburgh or Glasgow.
Of course, this was a complementary learning process, as NLS/SSA staff had an opportunity to liaise with colleagues in the public library sphere and also meet Ayr library users and get a feel for their interests. It represented an excellent (and literal) opportunity to showcase the variety of NLS materials received under the privilege of the Legal Deposit Libraries Act 2003, and to encourage any local societies or individuals to deposit items with us. Examples of the variety of official publications and purchased foreign materials were also exhibited.

Facsimiles of locally relevant rare books and manuscripts were on show, and a specialist map curator spoke on three centuries of Ayrshire maps at a free public event in the reference library. Further free events covered NLS genealogical services and the various digital collections and services users could access from home. All events were well attended and feedback was positive. Successful workshops on local history for P5 and P7 children were also held, using the rich resources of the Scottish Screen Archive. SSA rounded off the roadshow with a showing of some Ayrshire gems from its collection on the final evening.

We hold one roadshow per year, usually in September. If you would like to invite NLS/SSA to visit your public library service, please contact Janice McFarlane j.mcfarlane@nls.uk.

Eric Dickson, Legal Deposit Assistant Curator, National Library of Scotland

Information Scotland Vol. 6(5) October 2008

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