The Library Blog

Edinburgh Napier University Library blog. Filled with useful and fun blog articles on using the Library, the University, Edinburgh and many other fun topics.

Author: mayagreen (Page 6 of 25)

National Read a Book Day

National Read a Book Day

06/09/2025 / / 0 Comments

National Read a Book Day

 

If there is anything us library workers love to promote consistently, is a love of reading. Whether it is a book, eBook, journal, article – you name it, we will always make a point of advertising the benefits of reading. As well as what resources we have to offer. Therefore, National Read a Book Day provides us with a great opportunity to promote both our resources at the library, how to access them (and how accessible they are), and the benefits of reading for literary and personal development, academic progression and overall wellbeing. Although it has unclear origins, National Read a Book Day is widely observed annually throughout the UK on the 6th of September by book lovers, advocates for reading and, of course, us library workers.

 

National Read a Book Day itself primarily encourages the celebration of reading as a simple pleasure and leisurely activity that has many benefits. Did you know that reading for at least thirty minutes a day is thought to potentially increase your life expectancy? This is due to the cognitive enhancement that reading can provide, including better memory, attention to detail and a reduction in stress levels. Stress is a major contributor to the development of heart disease, cancer and stroke, which are all leading causes of earlier fatality. Therefore, reading can potentially act as a preventative measure against stress progressing to a stage where your risk of developing these conditions and illnesses significantly increases.

Reading as a Pastime

 

Many individuals would say that reading is their favourite pastime and recreational activity for relaxation; however, some individuals feel that reading can seem like a chore at times. If you are a student and have been doing a lot of heavy reading and studying for exams and upcoming assignments, that can most definitely be the case, especially if you feel your head has never left a textbook in weeks! The last thing you probably want to do after or during the midst of this is pick up a book. Nevertheless, finding the right book, or even just a fun, light and heartwarming read can feel like a bit of leisure during stressful periods like this. Even if it’s just for a short period of time a day – on your lunch break, just before going to sleep, or even on your daily commute to make it go by a little faster. Audiobooks are also a great way to get lost in a good story on the move – whether you are on the train, bus, or even a walk.

Our Library Catalogue

Although a majority of the stock we hold at our campus libraries consists of academic resources and textbooks, we do have some lighter and more leisurely reads available to borrow and request at Sighthill, Merchiston and Craiglockhart campus. If you happen to be passing by one of our campus libraries and come across a book that interests you on one of our shelves (or displays, we love a display), you can use your student card to take it out on loan at one of our self-service kiosks.

Alternatively, if you have a specific book in mind, you can check if we have it on LibrarySearch and put in a request for it to be kept on our hold shelves for you to collect later on. We will keep it on hold for you for up to seven days. If we do not have the book which you are looking for, you can submit an Inter Library Loan request form, and we can check if another library has it in stock, then request it from them to lend to you through us. Books borrowed from our own campus libraries can automatically renew for up to four months unless requested by another patron and there are no other copies available to meet this request. When it is requested, you will be notified via email and will have seven days to return the book from when this email is sent to you.

 

Here are some recommendations from us at the library for National Read a Book Day…

  • The Comfort Book, Haig, Matt, 1975- author. 2022. Available at Sighthill Library Wellbeing Collection.
  • The salt path, Winn, Raynor, author. 2019. Available at Sighthill Library Wellbeing Collection.
  • The perks of being a wallflower. Chbosky, Stephen author. 2012. Available at Merchiston Library Wellbeing Collection.

 

By Rachel Downie

Photo credit goes to Polina Tankilevitch at Pexels.

library review

Welcome to ENU Libraries

05/09/2025 / / 0 Comments

Welcome to ENU Libraries

Welcome to our ENU libraries and to our library blog. Whether you are a new or returning student, you will find lots of useful information about the library, e.g., opening hours, services, facilities, as well as information on special events so please keep an eye on the blog to keep up to date with what’s happening.

Here is some useful information to help you get started. Just click on the links for more details.

Library Services

Our current library opening hours can be found here. The library help desks are staffed Monday – Friday from 08:45 – 16:45. Please be aware that our opening hours change during holiday periods. The NorMAN Out of Hours Service provides library support when the help desks are closed.

 

LibrarySearch is the library catalogue which can be used to search for a wide range of books, articles, and ebooks. LibrarySearch provides details of all items on the library shelves as well as subscription databases including ebooks, ejournals, online multimedia and e-conference proceedings.

 

Library Loans. You can borrow and return books via the Self- Service machines. They are really easy to use, just follow the on-screen instructions. When returning items, you can leave them in the return boxes beside the self-service machines after you have scanned them.

 

Click and Collect services are available at each campus library. Items can be requested and will be held in our designated Click and Collect areas where you can pick them up at your convenience. Requested items will be held for seven days. Please remember to check your books out via the self-service machine.

 

Printing, scanning and copying is available using our Multi-Functional Devices (MFDs). MFDs are situated in all three campus libraries. You must ensure you have enough print credit to be able to print.

 

Laptops to Loan. Lapsafes are available at each campus library, JKCC and Bainfield where laptops can be borrowed for up to 14 days. The lapsafes are self-service and can be operated by scanning your physical student card or your digital ID card.

 

Study Spaces.

We have a variety of study spaces available at each of our campus libraries. There are individual and collaborative study spaces as well as silent study areas. Group Study rooms.

Group Study Rooms are also available and can be booked up to 14 days in advance. You can check availability and book online via Resource Booker for a maximum of one two-hour slot per day.

 

Wellbeing Collections are available at each campus and have a range of books to support both your physical and mental health and well-being. There are also relaxation areas where you can take a break from studying and de-stress for a while by reading, playing games or doing some relaxing activities such as jigsaws and colouring in.

 

Library Tours are available, either individually or as a group. We are more than happy to show you around our libraries whenever it is convenient for you.  This will highlight study areas, using facilities and how to search for and find books.

 

LibCal is our training and events calendar. Be sure to look for any events which might help you with how to use the library and how to develop your academic skills. Check out our module Introduction to Computing and Library Services to find out about the services we offer.

 

Get Connected sessions are being run to help students set up access to Eduroamprint credit (our free University Wi-fi), Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and the Edinburgh Napier App. The sessions will run across all three campuses from Monday 8th September until Friday 26th September 2025.

 

More information about our libraries is available on the My Napier Library Webpage so be sure to check it out.

Welcome to Edinburgh Napier University. We are looking forward to meeting you!

 

Contact Us

If you need help from the Library, please do not hesitate to contact us.

In Person at Library Help Desks (Mon – Fri: 08:45 – 16:45)

By Email: library@napier.ac.uk

By Phone: 0131 455 3500

You can also log and track your own issue and keep up to date with actions taken by using the Self-Service Desk.

 

By Sharon McMichael

Welcome to the Napier Libraries

 

Dear Library

Dear Library

02/09/2025 / / 0 Comments

Dear Library

A love letter to library institutions all over the world…

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the National Library of Scotland, the NLS has curated a special exhibition called ‘Dear Library’, which runs from June 20th this year until April 18th, 2026. It is free to attend and was put together in collaboration with partners across the UK. Each display within this wonderful exhibition ultimately represents how libraries can help and support their patrons, and equally, how you can also support them. As a library worker myself, I was instantly drawn to visiting this exhibition when I saw it advertised on the National Library of Scotland’s webpages and would like to share some of the highlights of this intriguing and galvanising experience.

 

The Love Letter Display Board…

The exhibition itself is essentially advertised as one giant ‘love letter’ to libraries across the world and the library sector altogether. It was also inspired by the works of Jackie Kay and her poem ‘Dear Library,’ which the exhibition was also named after. Libraries serve as vital community hubs and public spaces where the pursuit of knowledge, reading and digital access is accessible and free to all. In addition to bridging the digital divide, libraries also host programs that promote community, connection, and well-being worldwide. They are also seen as safe spaces by many, and one where individuals do not feel pressure or obligation to spend money to access resources or simply spend time there. As part of the ‘Dear Library’ exhibition, a display board was put up by National Library of Scotland staff for patrons to stick a post-it note with their own love letters to the library sector, including what libraries have done for them and the positive impact they have had on their lives. To see so many of these post-it notes displayed on the board expressing people’s love for the library sector truly warmed my heart. I decided to leave my own little love note to the library sector, which expresses both my own love for both being a patron and regular customer of local libraries in my area and for working in the library sector itself.

dear library display

dear library

 

The Library Marathon Display.

Now here is a very passionate patron of the library sector! From 2019-2023, author and poet Joseph Coelho commenced a four-year-long mission where he became a member of a library in all the local authorities throughout the UK. Altogether, he visited a total of 213 libraries during his ‘library marathon’ – some of the cards he collected on this UK-wide expedition are displayed on the wall photographed below. His primary goal was to promote libraries as vital public and community spaces in the UK as well as to inspire a love of reading in young people – a mission us library workers can definitely get behind! It was also essentially a call for everyone to join their local library within their catchment area. Below you will see a photograph of the breathtaking wall of library cards he accumulated during this expedition.

library

The Bookshelves with recommendations from the public and famous Scottish figures…

 

At the centre of one of the exhibition rooms was an open reading room of bookshelves stacked with a variety of genres, all of which are recommendations put forward by widely-known Scottish figures as well as the general public. In each of these novels was also a note left by individuals expressing their love for the book, the impact it had on them and sometimes even how it shaped them in years to come. I saw many well-known titles such as The Handmaid’s Tale and The Perks of Being a Wallflower, as well as many which I had not heard of but was intrigued by – several were most definitely added to my Goodreads reading list! One patron even noted that a book they put forward as a recommendation had inspired them to pursue a career in the library sector. It was a truly incredible and heart-warming display – it not only gave me some great recommendations to look forward to but also highlighted the joys of reading and the positive impact reading can have on individuals, as well as how significant of a role libraries can play in fostering this love of reading.

dear library exhibition

The Save our Library Display…

 

Despite libraries being widely viewed as essential community and support hubs, they usually end up being at the frontline of any government funding cuts in the UK, which can result in closures (usually of small, localised institutions), hours being cut and reduced staffing. This can have a detrimental impact on deprived areas where many patrons may rely on libraries in terms of open access to resources, digital access or even access to a safe and ‘warm’ space. A powerful quote is framed within this display, reading ‘A library card in your hand is your democracy.’ This statement essentially advocates for libraries as vital community hubs where information, literacy skills and digital access are all free and accessible to all. This significantly aligns with freedom of access to information and freedom of information laws in society and helps to ensure that everyone can access information held by public authorities. Ultimately, it reveals how important it is to have publicly accessible institutions like libraries as it aligns with various principles regarding freedom of information and access to it. Part of keeping libraries accessible can also involve having localised institutions located in as many different vicinities as possible within a single catchment area. I therefore felt that the ‘Save Whiteinch Library’ banner featured in this display was particularly relevant in reflecting the importance of small, localised library institutions, and a powerful attribute within this display overall.

save our library

 

Recommendations…

 

Here are some recommendations from us if you would like to read more about libraries…

 

Wahler, Elizabeth A., author.; Johnson, Sarah C., author.

2024

Available at Sighthill Library.

 

2014

Available at Merchiston Library.

 

By Rachel Downie

We love our library

Campus Guide

Campus Guides 

01/09/2025 / / 0 Comments

Campus Guides 

First things first: the two core things a university student (or staff member for that matter!) needs are food and hydration. Our canteens on all campuses are open for Breakfast from 8am to 11am and Lunch from 11.30am to 2.45pm, serving a changing menu every day of the week, from burritos to Bolognese, with a few firm favourites (Baked Potatoes, soup, sandwiches).

In addition, our campus coffee shops (‘Espresso Labs’) are open from Monday to Thursday 8am to 5pm and Friday 8am to 4pm. They serve a range of hot and cold drinks, cookies and crisps. A personal highlight for me has been their iced coffee – perfect for the hot and humid weather we’ve experienced this summer.

 

Campus Guides  Merchiston

 

The Merchiston campus is the oldest dedicated campus in Edinburgh Napier University, home to the arts and humanities collections, as well as the site of Merchiston tower. Like many spaces in Edinburgh, late 20th century architecture mixes with medieval or early Modern structures. Merchiston Tower ties the site to its history as the seat of the Napier family, who give the name to our university – specifically, named after John Napier, the inventor of logarithms. Today, the tower hosts various office spaces, and tours can be arranged of it.

It is the busiest of our campuses, an unsurprising fact given that it’s situated in the middle of the student-heavy Southside of Edinburgh. The campus is a short walk from inner suburbs Bruntsfield, Marchmont, Morningside and Polwarth.

Many key university’s services are headquartered here – e.g sports societies, radio, as well as the JKCC (Jack Kilby Computer Centre). Like the Merchiston library, the JKCC is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week during term time – perfect for working late on an upcoming assignment.

 

Campus Guides  Sighthill

 

Social and life sciences are the major subjects studied here, and the core collection extends over two floors. The roof top conference suited offers amazing panoramic views of the city of Edinburgh. Sighthill is also the location of the main campus gym. The area surrounding the campus was developed mainly as housing estates by Edinburgh City Council in the 1960s and 1970s. While less conventionally attractive compared to the other Napier campuses, the building is modern and energy efficient, and provides an excellent workout should you choose to habitually take the stairs.  Sighthill campus is open from 8am to 9pm on weekdays and 9am to 5pm on weekends.

 

Campus Guides  Craiglockhart

Last but certainly not least. The main building of Craiglockhart campus, built in the late 1800s, originally served as a hydropathic centre where people could go for the ‘water cure’.  It is a bucolic setting, in the shadow of the beautiful Craiglockhart hill. When the sun is out, there is no better place to have your lunch.

A modern extension was made to the building in the early 2000s, exemplified by ‘the Egg’ (the iconic Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre). It houses the Business and Law Schools of Edinburgh Napier, as well as the most charming of our libraries (I’m biased of course).

The best-known fact about Craiglockhart is that the building was requisition by the British government during World War 1 to serve as a psychiatric hospital for shell-shocked soldiers. Many officers convalesced here, including the revered anti-war poets Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen. There is a collection of books, ephemera and documents from this period collected as The War Poets collection, which is housed on the 1st floor. Visitors are free to come and see the collection for themselves, as well as to explore the grounds. The magazine produced by the officers – The Hydra – is memorialised today in the name of our campus’ canteen.

Craiglockhart campus is from open 8am-9pm weekdays and 9am-5pm weekends.

By Kieran Curran

 

Read all about Edinburgh Napier

Joinging us in September, information here

 

Summertime Edinburgh

Summertime in Edinburgh 

23/08/2025 / / 0 Comments

L 

Summertime in Edinburgh  

The City of Edinburgh proves yearly to be a wonderful place to be and spend time in during the summertime. With various parks and green spaces, retail outlets, events, activities, attractions and independent cafes and restaurants – our locals, visitors and tourists are spoiled for choice. This also makes Edinburgh an ideal place to be a student – if you plan to spend some of or all of the summer months in Edinburgh, there are a wide range of activities and events you can attend and local amenities you can visit over the summer. So, if you are looking for some summer itinerary ideas, or simply a few ideas for a day out in the city centre, do read on and see some of our recommendations below…

 

Park and Green Space Recommendation: The Meadows

 

The Meadows in Edinburgh is a big, open grassland and park. It is open to the public with trees lining it’s many pathways crossing through this particular green space.  Located just south of the city centre of Edinburgh and approximately a 20-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley train station. It is one of Edinburgh’s most popular public parks as well. And hosts a range of amenities such as a children’s playground, tennis courts, large sports pitches and even a croquet club.

It also has a lovely little cafe named the Pavillion Cafe, which has a range of vegetarian options and deli foods as well as outdoor seating for you to soak up the sunshine whilst you eat. On a sunny day, the Meadows is also a great place to have a picnic or set up a barbecue if you wish to bring your own food instead. The Meadows is also a popular place for runners and those who are simply looking to go on a leisurely stroll. As well as team sports, the park is also used as a space for both sporting and other types of events, such as the Royal Company of Archers competition and Meadows Marathon in March.

 

Other Parks and Green Spaces to check out…

  • Holyrood Park.
  • Princes Street Gardens.
  • Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh.

 

Retail Outlet Recommendation: The St James Quarter

 

The St James Quarter and shopping centre consists of five levels above ground altogether.  And three basement levels for parking. It hosts a vast variety of retail and shopping outlets on its first, second and third floors. As well as a wide selection of cafes, food stalls, bars and restaurants serving a range of different cuisines. There are some chain restaurants and cafes in the St James Quarter such as Black Sheep Coffee, Five Guys, Stack and Still, Pho and Starbucks. There are also some independent food outlets such as Bonnie and Wild and Haute Dolci.

 

The St James Quarter covers about 1.7 million square feet and is located in the east end of Edinburgh New Town. This is less than a five-minute walk from Edinburgh Waverley train station. There are also a few entertainment venues within the centre.  There is Flight Club, Lane 7 and the lavish, blockbuster Everyman Cinema, where you can catch some of the latest films released. Flight Club is a social darts and bar venue. Lane 7 features a variety of activities such as bowling, crazy golf and arcade games. Overall, the St James Quarter is a great place to spend the day during the summertime months in Edinburgh,h whether you are looking for somewhere to go with friends, on a day out with family or even for a date night.

 

Other Retail Outlets in Edinburgh to check out…

  • The Princes Street Mall.
  • Livingston Designer Outlet.
  • Ocean Terminal.

 

Edinburgh City Attraction Recommendation: Edinburgh Castle

 

Edinburgh Castle is one of the most famous historic sites in Scotland, and even throughout Western Europe. This iconic castle and landmark is situated on the top of Castle Rock and in the heart of the city centre, with breathtaking scenery and views of the city from the castle itself. As well as being a national treasure and stunning landmark, Edinburgh Castle is also recognised as the ‘defender of the nation,’ as it continues to be an active military quarters and army base.

Nevertheless, the castle is open to the public via ticketed entry. Tickets can be booked online. But you can also purchase an Explorer Pass to save a bit of money should you intend to visit more than once in a span of two weeks. There is much to see and do there if you are looking to do a self-directed tour and itinerary. For example, you can explore the St Margaret’s Chapel which was built in the early 1000s by James IV, and this is therefore Edinburgh’s oldest building. You can also check out the One o’Clock Gun which is fired every day throughout the week albeit Sundays. The panoramic views of the capital from Edinburgh Castle are also one to be admired.

 

Guided tours are also available and are ran by the castle stewards. There is also the option of signing up for an audio tour which takes you through the castle.  These will go into detail about the fascinating history and architecture of Edinburgh Castle as well. This audio guide can be listened to in many different languages such as English, French, Italian, Spanish, Mandarin, Russian, Portuguese (Brazillian), Japanese, German Polish, Korean and Ukranian.

 

Other Attractions in Edinburgh to check out…

  • The Scott Monument.
  • Camera Obscura.
  • The Museum of Childhood.
  • Edinburgh Zoo.

 

By Rachel Downie

 

Have another look of Edinburgh posts

 Photo by Jim Divine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Trimester Two

Geography of the ENU Campuses

22/08/2025 / / 0 Comments

Geography of the ENU Campuses

 

Wait, so there is more than one campus building?

 

There is indeed! Edinburgh Napier University has three campuses: Merchiston Campus, Sighthill Campus, and Craiglockhart Campus. Our oldest campus located in Merchiston was built during the 16th century. Merchiston is home to our School of Arts and Creative Industries as well as our School of Computing, Engineering and the Built Environment. It is also the birthplace of our very own John Napier! Our Sighthill campus hosts the School of Health and Social Care and the School of Applied Sciences. It is our newest campus building. It was fully refurbished in 2011 and is home to our ENGAGE sport and exercise facility. Our Craiglockhart campus only hosts one school,our Business School.  It is also home to our Innovation and Enterprise Centre, as well as the iconic Lindsay Stewart Lecture Theatre – a giant, futuristic-looking dome. Or as we like to call it, the ‘Big Egg.’

 

Now let us show you around, as we explore the geography of our three wonderful campuses…

 

Merchiston Campus

Merchiston campus

Merchiston campus is situated on Colinton Road in the lively neighbourhood of Bruntsfield. And is the closest of the three campuses to the city centre of Edinburgh. Nearby are a variety of independent restaurants, cafes and shops.  Which is great for some retail therapy, breaks from studying, and even socialising with fellow ENU students. Merchiston campus also hosts our Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association. Just around the corner in Morningside is a converted church which the university utilises for performance and rehearsal spaces for our SACI student community.

Due to Merchiston campus being based in the heart of Edinburgh, it is very easily accessible by all types of public transportation. There are seven different Lothian bus services from the city centre. All these will drop you off practically right outside Merchiston campus: the 5, 11, 15, 16, 23, 36 and 45 to be specific. With regards to our train and tram networks, Merchiston campus is approximately a 25-minute walk from Haymarket train station and tram stop – ideal if you are looking to get your steps in! With regards to getting to Merchiston campus by bike, Edinburgh has a wide range of ever-expanding cycle paths, including routes which go to and from Merchiston campus. There are 100 bicycle spaces available altogether at this ENU campus – 48 of these are covered, secure areas and 52 are uncovered. You can find one of the bike parking facilities opposite the Merchiston library entrance to the left, and the other parking facility at the far end opposite the glass box. Parking for those coming to Merchiston campus by car is available between 7am-5pm Monday to Friday for all permit holders. Outside these times and at weekend, parking is free.  

Sighthill Campus

Sighthill campus

Sighthill Campus is based to the west of Edinburgh city centre. And hosts a range of facilities catering to both our School of Health and Social Care and School of Applied Sciences student communities. Some of these facilities include a 1,000 square metre clinical skills centre featuring mock hospital wards and a high-dependency unit, Biotech labs. And a lab for Sports and Exercise Science students. And of course, our Learning and Resource Centre with five floors in total, with library, cafe and IT facilities. Sighthill campus is also close to a few local amenities within walking distance such as Sighthill Shopping Centre. Then there is a Londis gas station with a Subway and Burger King, a Greggs bakery. Nearby is Hermiston Gate, which has various retail outlets as well as a Costa, Krispy Kreme and KFC.

Sighthill Campus is very well-served by various public transportation systems. The tram network runs between Edinburgh Airport and Newhaven. It cuts through Edinburgh City Centre as well. Bankhead Station is the closest one to our Sighthill campus – approximately a ten-minute walk up Bankhead Drive. In terms of getting there by train, South Gyle train station is approximately a 25-minute walk from Sighthill campus and roughly the same distance from Edinburgh Park station as well, which is approximately a 20-minute walk from this campus. From Edinburgh city centre, Lothian bus services 3,21,25,32,34, 36 and Citylink 300 all stop outside Sighthill campus at bus stop ‘Sighthill Shops’ on Calder Road. Services 2,12 and 22 from Edinburgh city centre also stop at ‘Bankhead (W)’ on Bankhead Drive, which is right outside campus grounds as well, giving you a huge variety of options regarding bus services from the city centre overall. For those travelling by car, parking is also available at this campus for permit holders, and can be accessed via the M8, M9 and Edinburgh City Bypass. Secure bike storage facilities are also available at this campus.

Craiglockhart Campus

Craiglockhart Campus

And finally, we have our scenic Craiglockhart campus! This ENU campus is, like our Merchiston campus, also located on Colinton Road, but much further down – closer to Morningside, Kingsnowe and Slateford. It hosts an airy atrium with good natural lighting and an Espresso Lab Cafe, various language and multimedia labs, our large downstairs library with 100 PCs available for use, and our famous War Poets Collection. In terms of cafes and similar local amenities, there are not very many close to Craiglockhart campus aside from a few supermarkets such as Tesco, Sainburys and a large Asda with a Mcdonalds inside. Nevertheless, like all of our ENU campuses, it does host a canteen with a wide variety of food and drink options. Craiglockhart campus is also well-served by public transportation throughout Edinburgh.

 

In terms of which Lothian buses stop right outside Craiglockhart campus, services 4, 10, 27 and 45 all stop on Colinton Road at a stopped specifically named ‘Craiglockhart Campus’ – as does the 36 bus service on Glenlockhart road. Slateford train station is also a short walk from Craiglockhart campus – approximately 15-20 minutes in total. Parking and bike storage facilities are also available at this campus for those travelling by car or bike.

 

By Rachel Downie

We may be a modern university but two of our campuses have a lot of history, read about Merchiston and Craiglockhart

Edinburgh festival blog

Edinburgh book festival blog

14/08/2025 / / 0 Comments

Edinburgh book festival blog

August in Edinburgh is of course, usually completely taken up by the Fringe Festival (just try walking through the tourists on the Royal Mile to see what we mean!). We’d like to take a quick blog post to tell you about another festival that is running in Edinburgh: the Edinburgh International Book Festival. It’s not surprising that we here at the library would be more interested in this festival. But we imagine a lot of other people will be overlooking it in favour of the Fringe. So we’d just like to tell you a little about one of the largest book festivals in the world.

Book Festival Ongoings

Since its beginning in 1983, the Edinburgh International Book Festival has been a celebration of literature and culture. And going strong for over forty years. It has seen some changes along the way. Initially it was held biennially before switching to annual in 1997. As well as changing venue a few times (it’s currently held at the Edinburgh Futures Institute) but has consistently remained a place that encourages discussion and debate, celebrating art and culture both within and outwith Scotland, with events being both educational and entertaining. These events include panel discussions, book signings, writing workshops, talks by creatives about their work, or public readings of works.
In addition to the main adult programme, there is also programmes of events tailored for children and young people. These have story time and educational events for children, and games and quizzes for young adults.

Book Festival

Previous years have included events such as 2024 hosting a 200th anniversary celebration of Scottish gothic satire The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner and 2017’s festival seeing then-First Minister Nicola Sturgeon popping in to take part in a talk about living life under public scrutiny.
>The primary theme for this year’s festival is Repair, with events focused on examining how aspects of our society feel broken and what can be done to address them. Events will be based around activities that help restore a sense of purpose and calm in the modern world. There have been events promoting the therapeutic benefits of gardening, readings from local writers and poets on the theme of repair, and discussions of modern climate activism.
>Other themes from this year have included New World Orders, focusing on international and domestic politics, and Brainwaves, which explores all aspects related to the brain, such as psychology and neuroscience. You can find more themes of this year’s festival on the festival website.
>I’m personally looking forward to the festival hosting the first Scottish presentation of Mark Kermode Live in 3D this year, which sees the popular film critic being joined by several Scottish screen actors to discuss upcoming film releases and their personal history with cinema.

As you might have noticed from some of the name dropping I’ve been doing so far. The festival has regularly played host to celebrities from all around the world. These have of course included authors and artists, but also political thinkers and politicians. The alumni of the festival including as disparate a group of people such as American author Toni Morrison, Pakistani political activist Tariq Ali, linguist Noam Chomsky, and essayist Susan Sontag.
>In addition to celebrities from around the world, the festival has also hosted events by Scottish celebrities such as Glasgow based comedian Brian “Limmy” Limond. This year will see local singer-songwriter Hamish Hawk appear to celebrate the works of eccentric Scottish poet Ivor Cutler.

You can find a full list of all of this year’s events on the festival’s website. We hope to see you there!

By Matthew Ferrie

photo by Evy Prentice

 

All about the Fringe this august 

burryman festival

The Burryman Festival

08/08/2025 / / 0 Comments

The Burryman Festival

 

When the Edinburgh festivals are running the show in the city, the nearby town of South Queensferry on the edge of the Firth of Forth, hosts a very different kind of party. Situated overlooking the iconic Forth Rail Bridge and the slightly less iconic Forth Road Bridge, ‘The Ferry’ plays host to the Burryman’s Day, which always takes place on the second Friday in August.

The Burryman himself is always someone either from South Queensferry or closely connected to the town. He is elected by committee, and occupies the role of Burryman until such time as he chooses to step down (now that’s a peaceful transition of power).

Preparing in the wee small hours of the morning – and wearing a bodysuit to protect his skin – a man covered in burdock flowers, from head to toe, proceeds from the Stag’s Head hotel at 9am. He follows a prepared route through the town, visiting shops, pubs, churches as well as housing estates, attempting to see as many of the townspeople as possible.

“Hip hip hooray, it’s the Burryman’s day” is the refrain heard around its streets, belted out by the town crier, ringing bells chiming with gusto. Fed liquids (mostly whisky…though sometimes water) through a straw, his work (or, if you prefer, performance) is a labour of love – and one that is greatly appreciated by the towns and visiting tourists alike. Meeting the Burryman is considered good luck by some – crossing his path on the day of your wedding is especially welcome – whilst others simply enjoy the strange, unconventional spectacle of it. Folk are also invited to ‘drop a coin in the box’ as a donation to local charities.

Overall, the atmosphere is one of community, conviviality and fun – locals help by picking burdock and other flowers that make up the Burryman’s garland. Every year, the event coincides with the town’s Ferry Fair – with a mix of newcomers who have, in recent times, moved out to South Queensferry from the city in search of space, peace and quiet.

Where did this come from?

It is, in effect, a harvest festival, celebrating a good crop yield, but also, because of the town’s history of fishing, is associated with a plentiful catch from its fishermen, dating back to the 16th century. However, there are other threads intertwined here.  Rituals like the Burryman are seen in Britain, Ireland and many mainland European countries: the ‘king for a day’; the man of the Burgh (in this interpretation, the Burryman is the ‘man of the town’, as opposed to the man covered in burrs), celebrating plentiful amounts of food; the ‘Green Man’ that symbolises rebirth and change.

Other specific variations include the ‘Castleton Garland King’ in Castleton, Derbyshire – held annually on the 29th of May – and the Straw Bears processions, common in parts of Germany.

By Kieran Curran

photo by JM

Get into the festival spirit

Friendship

Friendship Day

31/07/2025 / / 0 Comments

Friendship Day

Yesterday was Friendship Day, a day dedicated to celebrating the importance of friendship in all its forms. We know how hard it can be to make new friends when you go to university. And we understand how important friends can be for getting you through your studies. For that reason, we thought we’d just take some time today to talk a little about the different ways the university can support you in making new friends once you start your studies here.

Once you become a student at Edinburgh Napier you are also welcomed into the Edinburgh Napier Students Association (ENSA), our student union. Here you’ll find the student clubs and societies at the university. They are also responsible for organising student-centric events at the university. You can learn more about the students union at their website, ENSA Home.

ENSA


>Joining a club or society is a fantastic way to make new friends at university. It gives you a chance to meet other students who have some of your same interests. I can speak from personal experience and say that the greatest friends I made at university, the ones I still keep in touch with today, are the friends I made through joining different clubs related to my hobbies.
>When the new academic year begins, ENSA will host a range of events throughout the first week. They are designed to welcome new students to the university and help them get to know other students in their cohort. You can find the events list on the ENSA website at Edinburgh Napier Welcome Week 2025.   Here is  a full list of events being added at the start of August.

The Napier Friendship Club is organised by the Visa and International Support team as a way of helping students to find and make friends with other members of the university, with a particular emphasis on helping our international students to find community as they arrive in the country. The club organise events throughout the academic year. So if you’re looking to make friends at university why don’t you email friends@napier.ac.uk to find out what they have planned for the coming school year.

Whether you’re a new student joining us or a returning student, we hope you feel welcome here at Napier. And that some of the information provided can help you build a strong friend group during your studies.

By Matthew Ferrie

SUniversity support

Sighthill Campus Library

27/07/2025 / / 0 Comments

Sighthill Campus Library

At the start of 2011 we opened our newest campus building in Sighthill just to the west of Edinburgh city centre, and for the past fourteen years it has been the home of our School of Health and Social Care, and the School of Applied Sciences, providing our students with a state-of-the-art learning environment and research centres where they can perfect their skills and conduct important research into their field.

Sighthill Campus

The Sighthill Campus can be found at 9 Sighthill Court, in the suburb of Sighthill, just off Calder Road and right next to Sighthill public park. Which makes us neighbours with the Sighthill campus of Edinburgh College!
You can easily reach the campus through several different Lothian bus routes, with bus stops located right next to and across the road from the campus. You can reach the campus through the number 3, 21, 25, 32, 34, and 36 bus routes, with the number 36 bus serving all of our campuses across the city.
The campus is also only a short walk away from Edinburgh Park train station, or you can catch the above-mentioned buses from either Haymarket or Edinburgh Waverly.  We are also only a short walk away from the Bankhead tram stop.
With all these options, there’s really no excuse to not pay us a visit.

 

The Sighthill Campus itself is divided into separate “blocks” numbered A to F, with each block being based around a particular service.
The A block is the atrium, the main entrance area, where you’ll find the canteen, espresso lab and some areas for you to sight and socialise with friends.
The B block has the offices, where you’ll find the support and administrative teams, such as the finance team, international support, and offices for the School of Health and Social Care and the School of Applied Sciences.
In the C block you’ll find our specialist teaching departments (more on those later!)
D block has our lecture theatres and class rooms.
E is for the Learning Resource Centre, the campus library.
And F is for the sports building (You’ll be hearing more on that later too!)
Each room number will include the letter for which block it is. So if you’re told to go to room 4.E.13, you’ll know it’s on the fourth floor of the library in room thirteen.

You can learn more about the layout of the building, along with a guide to disability access points, at Sighthill Building | AccessAble.

At Sighthill, you’ll find our most modern campus building, boasting specialised laboratories and our very impressive Simulation and Clinical Skills Centre, a facility that simulates different healthcare working environments to give the students of our school of health and social care a taste of what they can expect once they enter their careers, and a chance to practice their skills in a controlled setting.
For our School of Applied Sciences we have laboratories focusing on research into the Biological Sciences, Social Sciences, and Sports Sciences. These include facilities and equipment for research into microbiology and biomedicine, as well as labs that allow for practical psychology studies with interview rooms and equipment for testing perception and eye tracking. Of particular note, we also have an environmental performance laboratory that can be used to simulate different climate conditions for research into how extreme weather conditions effect human physiology.

Sighthill Campus Library

On campus you can also find our Sighthill Learning Resource Centre, 5 storeys tall and taking up the E block of the building. On the first floor you’ll find a café and area for group study and socialisation. The second floor has our library help desk for any enquiries you might have, as well as computers for you to use and the lapsafe if you need to borrow a laptop to help with your studies. The third and fourth floors are silent study areas that have our collection of books. On the fifth floor you’ll find the Horizon Suite, one of our Sighthill conference venues, which can accommodate over one hundred people, gets plenty of sunlight, and has a great view of the surrounding area. Also on the fifth floor is some more study rooms.
You can learn more about the learning resources on offer in the library at Sighthill Learning Resource Centre.

In addition to our research facilities, our Sighthill campus also offers a café on the first floor of the library right next to the entrance, as well as a canteen in the atrium and the Sighthill Espresso Lab for if you want a coffee on your way to class. We also have the ENGAGE Fitness centre, a gym that is open to staff and students as well as members of the public. At ENGAGE you’ll find equipment for cardio and weightlifting exercises, including Olympic weightlifting platforms and a sports hall that can be booked for activities such as badminton. There is also personal trainers available to support you while you’re there.

We’ll be looking forward to welcoming any new students to the Sighthill campus in the coming academic year, and we hope that with this blog post you’ll be able to find your way around a little easier!

By Matthew Ferrie

Read all about Craiglockhart library

 

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