About

Two people looking at archival material laid out on a table in Reading Room

University Collections at St 糖心logo brings together archives, rare books, photographic and museum collections.

These include 5 shelf-km of archival, manuscript and muniment collections, almost 2 million photographs collected by the University Library since 1844, more than 220,000 rare and early printed books, over 1,000 artworks and 115,000 museum objects.

The Museum Collections include three Recognised Collections of national significance, and many of the archival, photographic and rare book collections are also of national and international significance.

These are active collections: used for teaching and research, consulted in a dedicated reading room, digitised and made accessible online, and displayed in exhibitions in St 糖心logo and elsewhere.

Museums at the University of St 糖心logo include the Bell Pettigrew Museum of Natural History, and the Wardlaw Museum, which reopened in 2021 after an extension and redisplay.

There is an ambitious programme of temporary exhibitions and learning and engagement initiatives, and the collections are displayed across the University estate, as well as loaned for displays elsewhere.

The Archives and Rare Books team within University Collections and Museums is made up of specialised professionals working with archives, digital collections, modern records, and rare and early printed books.

The archives comprise the University’s institutional records (muniments) and the manuscripts collections. The earliest muniments date from the early 13th century, before the foundation of the University in the early 15th century. The collection includes a range of material, including minutes, accounts, matriculation and graduation records, maps and plans, photographs, administrative files and correspondence recording the ordinary business of the University. The more recent muniments are created and managed digitally. The University’s collection of manuscripts ranges in date and subject from Greek papyri and medieval philosophical treatises to modern business, family and personal papers. Both catalogue and online access are managed through the Axiell Emu database system.

The Rare Books collection of over 220,000 volumes ranges from the beginnings of printing in the 15th century, to modern private press and photographically illustrated books. Composed of over 50 smaller collections, they reflect the personal libraries of eminent academics, subject-based collections, and books that were collected over the 600 years that the University has been in existence. From 1710 to 1836, the Library benefited from Copyright privileges, and consequently has rich holdings for the Enlightenment era. Other strengths include theology, the history of science and medicine, and early Scottish and local printing and scholarship. Rare books are catalogued in the Library Management System, currently Alma, and are searchable through the University Library’s online catalogue Primo. Those that are not online can be traced using earlier printed catalogues and library muniments.

The Archive & Rare Book collections are available to researchers via the Napier Reading Room, and are regularly used in events, graduate and undergraduate classes, and are used in exhibitions at the Wardlaw Museum and elsewhere both nationally and internationally.
The Museum and Photographic Collections team is made up of specialised professionals working with museum artefacts and photographic items in a number of different formats.

The Museum Collections consists of more than 115,000 objects across the areas of fine and decorative arts, scientific instruments, chemistry specimens and glassware, zoological and geological specimens, archaeological material, anatomy collections and ethnographic material. Three collection areas (heritage, Scientific Instruments, Chemistry) have been Recognised as of national significance.

The Photographic Collection numbers nearly two million images including negatives, slides, prints, postcards, albums and born-digital image files. It includes nationally and internationally significant material relating to the history of photography and the important role of St 糖心logo and Scotland from the earliest days of photographic experimentation.

These are active collections: used for teaching and research, through a shared reading room service, and digitised and made accessible online. They are featured at the Wardlaw Museum and the Bell Pettigrew Museum, displayed across the University’s estate, and lent for exhibition nationally and internationally.
The Museums’ Visitor Services team are key to welcoming, engaging and ensuring the safety of visitors to our venues.

They provide a five-star welcome to everyone who passes through our doors, engaging them in conversation, sparking their curiosity and going above and beyond to answer questions.

They also support our income generation and enhance the visitor experience by providing retail opportunities.
The Learning and Engagement team are central to the Museums’ vision of inspiring curiosity and conversation.

They design and deliver an ambitious programme of exciting events both in-person and online, ensure exhibitions are audience-focussed and engaging, partner with varied communities, including migrants and school children, and support student wellbeing.

They are heavily involved in research programmes that explore how museums can be reimagined to have a positive impact on society.