Sunday, 18 November 2012

New College Library, Edinburgh

New College Library is the
University of Edinburgh's School of Divinity Library. It is on Mound Place and was founded in 1843. It is a beautiful old building accessed through a courtyard behind a statue of John Knox.



It is not a big library and is one big room really with tables and chairs in the middle and shelves of books around the edge. I think there is a further reading room and stacks on another floor.
I'm particularly interested in theology libraries as my first degree was religious studies. I was pleased to see that the students studying in the library were much more 'cool and trendy' than in the past although maybe all students are.
I read a theology journal, a couple of sermons and sat and looked at the windows.






One thing that really struck me was this plaque.



I don't know anything about Adam Mitchell Hunter so will have to find out about him but how wonderful that a plaque was created and displayed to celebrate that he 're-arranged' the library.
In today's world he would have had to transform or totally rebuild the library to be of note but it is probably just a matter of the language used for the same level of achievement. A glorious understatement.

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