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.

Category: Library Information (Page 1 of 22)

welcome

Welcome to Edinburgh Napier Libraries Trimester 3 2026

03/06/2026 / / 0 Comments

Welcome to Edinburgh Napier Libraries Trimester 3 2026

A warm welcome to any new students joining us here at Edinburgh Napier University this Summer. Here’s a comprehensive guide to our library services to help you get started.

Library Resources

Each of your courses will have a reading list, that you can access through the LibrarySearch (more on that further down). Make sure to log in at the top right corner as a university member. We also offer subject and research guides created by subject librarians to help you with finding information and resources. These guides are available online and cover a wide range of topics relevant to your studies. You can find them in LibGuides. For more personalised help, you can contact your subject librarian or arrange a one-on-one appointment. Details about your subject librarian are available on the library webpages.

LibrarySearch is the library catalogue 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 Kiosks. 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 kiosks after scanning them in. Books are 7-day loans, but they renew automatically for up to 4 months unless requested.  You can borrow up to 30 physical items. If you are looking for something we don’t have, we have an inter-library loan service.

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. The requested items will be held for seven days. Please remember to check out your books at the self-service kiosk.

Laptops and Printers

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 print.

Laptops to Loan. Laptops 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 student 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 are also available and can be booked up to 14 days in advance. You can check availability and book online via Resource Booker for up to 1 two-hour slot per day.

Our general Opening Hours can be found on our My Napier webpages via the library tab.  Staffed hours in all of our campus libraries are 8:45am-16:45pm Monday to Friday. Our libraries are unstaffed. at weekends, but still free to use from 9am-5pm. During the summer, the Merchiston campus library is having some essential maintenance. Access is as follows:

  • Zone 1, the area near the helpdesk (including Group Study Room 8), will remain open. The Library helpdesk will remain open, with the usual Opening Hours.
     
  • All other library areas will be closed. This means no access to quiet, silent study spaces, print books, journals, and other items on shelves.  

In our spaces, we also have our Wellbeing Collections available at each campus, with 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.

Degree show

Degree Show 2026

01/06/2026 / / 0 Comments

Degree Show 2026

Breaking the Mould: A Celebration of Creativity and Innovation
From May 29 to June 5, we’re excited to invite you to an extraordinary event at our Merchiston campus, showcasing the remarkable talents of our next generation of designers and creatives. This week-long celebration marks the unveiling of our undergraduate and postgraduate students’ final year projects—a testament to their hard work, creativity, and innovative spirit.
In this unique display, witness how these emerging talents are challenging conventions and pushing the boundaries of technical craft. It’s an opportunity to meet students from diverse disciplines, each bringing their own fresh perspectives and ideas. Join us as we shine a spotlight on these talented individuals and explore their worlds. This event promises to be a captivating experience that embodies the essence of breaking the mould in design and creativity. Don’t miss this chance to see where imagination and skill converge!
Find out more at napier.ac.uk
Craiglockhart campus

21 Years of Craiglockhart campus library

20/05/2026 / / 0 Comments

21 Years of Craiglockhart campus library

Merchiston library is partially closed over the summer. We’ve went in our archives to dig out a post regarding last time one of our campus libraries had a refurb.

In the summer of 2004 the refurbished Craiglockhart campus was getting ready to re-open. It had acquired a modern extension to cope with increased student numbers. So the library was now housed in the lower floor below the foyer. Controversially, the main library area lacked a ceiling. Whilst the works were taking place the book stock and library staff were accommodated at Sighthill campus.  Which would later get its own refurbishment.

Back then, at Sighthill, the staff offices and library were quite old-fashioned looking, with lots of dark wood. The library desk was not near the book stock; in fact, it wasn’t even on the same floor. Without a lift capable of taking trollies between floors, books had to be loaded into a dumbwaiter-style lift, sent up to the correct floor, then unloaded from the lift onto another trolley. Packing the books for the move back to Craiglockhart was a massive task. Books were packed in crates in Dewey Decimal order, and journals were alphabetised by title, then by date. Crates were then labelled and transported to Craiglockhart.

Craiglockhart campus library

The new Craiglockhart library was very different. There was light coloured metal shelving and large windows making the area seem much brighter. Book and journal stock was held on the same floor as the library desk making returning items to the correct place much easier. Once the stock had been transported back from Sighthill it had to be unpacked and put onto the shelves in the correct order which required a lot of concentration! The crates served as seating for library staff at breaks and lunchtime, as the library furniture had not yet arrived.

At the time, there were two rows of main book stock, which, due to the increase in e-book usage and no longer teaching languages, have now been reduced to one. Almost all journals stocked were in print format and these were stored in large rolling stacks situated where the collaborative desks are now. It would be a few years before self-service kiosks for issuing and returning books came to the library and even longer until a Click and Collect shelf for requests. Until then if you requested a book and wanted to collect it you had to wait to be served at the library helpdesk.

A few years after returning to Craiglockhart the size of the staff office was reduced to create the quiet room. Low-level talking and discussion are allowed here, but it tends to be more of a silent study room.

As time passed and print journal subscriptions moved to electronic ones the rolling stacks became obsolete and collaborative desks were fitted in this space. Over the years computers have been upgraded regularly and Macs were added. The lapsafe provides access to laptops which can be borrowed.

With increased space due to reduced print stock it was possible to create the relaxation space. This is a space to take time out from studies. Books, colouring sheets, games and origami paper are provided.

At the time Craiglockhart library re-opened no-one could have guessed how many changes there would be over the years. Let’s see what the next 21 years bring!

 

Read more about the changes of Craiglockhart over the years

By Vivienne Hamilton

Museum of Scotland

International Museum Day

18/05/2026 / / 0 Comments

International Museum Day

The 18th of May marks International Museum Day, an event organised by the International Council of Museums to celebrate local museums and raise public awareness of the role museums play in society. Observed since 1977, International Museum Day is celebrated in hundreds of countries and tens of thousands of museums worldwide. These celebrations are usually formed around a theme that allows museums to coordinate their message to the public and provide a topic for discussion and events. Past themes have examined the role museums play in the lives of young people, their connections to environmental struggles, and how museum objects can be used to preserve memories of the past.
This year’s theme is Museums Uniting a Divided World, focusing on how museums can foster dialogue and understanding between communities and cultures through the shared exchange of objects and information.

Edinburgh Museums

So in the spirit of the day, we’d like to talk a little about the local museums here in Edinburgh, as well as tell you about the historical collections we have on display at Napier.
One of the great things about Edinburgh is the abundance of museums dedicated to preserving the art, culture, and lived experience of others, whether from other cultures or from those who came before us.
A wonderful example of just such a museum can be found on the Royal Mile: The People’s Story Museum, dedicated to recording the everyday lives of working-class people in Edinburgh from the late 18th century to today. At the museum, you can step into galleries depicting life in 18th-century tenement houses, letting you see how the people of Edinburgh would have lived over two hundred years ago.

Edinburgh is also home to Europe’s only Palestinian museum, located not far from Princes Street. The museum is dedicated to chronicling the art and culture of the Palestinian people and how they have persevered through generations of hardship. The founder of the museum, Faisal Saleh, says that the goal of the project is to demonstrate that Palestinians are “human, creative, and resilient”.
There is also the Museum of Childhood, which preserves the history and interests of local children going back hundreds of years, with the oldest item on display being a doll of Queen Anne that dates to the mid-18th century! This little museum can be a great way to understand the youthful hobbies and toys from past generations and how the role of children in society has changed over the centuries.

Little Museum at Craiglockhart

If you’re interested in something a little bit closer to campus, you can have a look at some of our university’s Heritage Collections, perhaps the most famous of which is the War Poets Collection housed at our Craiglockhart campus.
Our Craiglockhart campus has a long and storied history before it became part of the university, with the building originally constructed in the Victorian era as a Hydropathic – a building dedicated to providing water therapy to those suffering from sickness and other ailments. When the First World War began in 1914, Craiglockhart was converted into a military psychiatric hospital where it treated military officers believed to be suffering from Shellshock.

Two officers who recovered at Craiglockhart were Siegfried Sassoon and Wilfred Owen, both poets who were inspired by their experiences in the First World War to create art as a way of processing what they had been through. Their time at Craiglockhart was important in the development of both men’s work. Especially Owen, who was still an aspiring poet at the time and who used his time at Craiglockhart to surround himself with other artists who were staying at the hospital, as well as becoming involved in The Hydra, a magazine run by patients at the hospital in order for them to remain active and productive during their recovery.

War Poets

Today, our War Poets Collection holds hundreds of items related to the men who recovered at Craiglockhart. These include first editions of Sassoon’s and Owen’s writings, along with collections of letters written by patients, and photographs and other items from throughout the history of Craiglockhart.
You can find these items on permanent display in our War Poets exhibition on the ground floor of Craiglockhart, and they provide a great insight into the inner lives of men struggling with the trauma of the First World War, and lets us better understand the experiences of those suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder in a time before that was understood.
The next time you’re at Craiglockhart, why don’t you take the opportunity to have a quick look at the collection and learn some more about the history of one of our campuses

By Matthew Ferrie

Read about Merchiston Tower, 500 years standing proud at Merchiston Campus

Photo by Serenay Bay Unsplash

Sighthill campus

The history of Sighthill Campus

15/05/2026 / / 0 Comments

The History of Sighthill Campus

With the partial closure of Merchiston library upcoming, starting on the 18th, we thought we could have a look at some campus posts.So we went through out archive to repost a post from a few years, detailing the history of the Sighthill Campus. Enjoy. We are putting the spotlight on Sighthill.

 

A lot has changed since John Napier was born in the tower at Merchiston Castle in 1550, during turbulent times for Scotland.

Times are still a little turbulent… but what would Napier think of our modern-day university campuses?

As you may know, Edinburgh Napier has 3 campus locations – at Merchiston, Craiglockhart and Sighthill. Not long after being renamed Edinburgh Napier university in 2009 (previously Napier University), the University opened its brand new £60m Sighthill campus in 2011.

 

 

Sighthill campus

Sighthill Campus, photograph from Edinburgh Napier Image Bank

 

Situated in the west of Edinburgh, sights of Sighthill include Burton’s biscuit company, Edinburgh Beer Factory, Edinburgh College  and of course our own Edinburgh Napier Sighthill Campus.

More than 5000 students choose to study at Sighthill campus, which houses the School of Health and Social Care (SHSC) and the School of Applied Sciences (SAS).

Applied sciences courses include Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Marine Biology and Conservation, as well as Sport Sciences, Social Sciences, Psychology, Policing and Careers Guidance. Facilities include Sport and exercise science labs, biotech labs and an environmental chamber to simulate high altitude conditions!

Health and Social care courses include Nursing, Midwifery, Allied Health professions and Social Work, as well as Health & Social Care Sciences. Step inside and you’ll find a 1000 sq metre Clinical skills centre with hospital wards, where students can treat ‘patients’ in a life-like setting.

https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-location/our-campuses/sighthill

 

 

image of nurse and training dummy

Nursing, photograph from Edinburgh Napier Image Bank

 

The opening of the 2011 Sighthill campus, with its brand new 5 storey Learning Resource Centre library, meant the bringing together of staff from a number of small ‘school of health’ libraries at Livingston St John’s hospital, Canaan Lane campus which was on the grounds of the Astley Ainslie Hospital and Comely Bank campus which was situated within the Western General Hospital’s grounds.

However, Edinburgh Napier was present at Sighthill long before 2011!

Sighthill Campus was originally opened in 1968 as custom-built accommodation for Edinburgh College of Commerce. The Edinburgh Corporation established the college in 1966 and subjects taught here would have included management and business studies – which you will now find at Craiglockhart campus!

In 1974, Edinburgh College of Commerce was amalgamated with Napier College of Science & Technology – and Napier College of Commerce & Technology was born. In 1986, Napier College became Napier Polytechnic, and then Napier University in 1992.

 

Notably, in 1984, her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and HRH Duke of Edinburgh came to Sighthill campus to open the newly refurbished library! The library was given the apt name of ‘The Queens Library’.

 

 

Image of her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to open Sighthill Library

Queen Elizabeth II opened Sighthill Library

 

 

Our present-day Sighthill LRC has a range of study environments fit for any royalty 👑 👑 👑!.

Across 5 floors, we have around 300 networked computers, spaces for laptops, study booths and collaborative desks for group work.

Our book collections are spread across the 3rd and 4th floors, with group study rooms, silent study areas and a relaxation space also available.

You can also borrow laptops from our LapSafe or ask for help at our Help Desk on LRC2.

Want to know more? Find out here.

 

Sources:

https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-history

https://www.napier.ac.uk/about-us/our-location/our-campuses/sighthill

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh_Napier_University

https://my.napier.ac.uk/library/about-the-library/sighthill

Seath, G. (2017). Beyond Logarithms & Bones: A short history of John Napier and his legacy.

The Napier Estate : past and present. (2007). Napier University.

 

By Judy Wheeler

Return items

Returning Items and Summer Opening Hours

14/05/2026 / / 0 Comments

Returning Items and Summer Opening Hours

 

Are you a student with us who is graduating or leaving the university this summer? We hope you have enjoyed your time with us, and gotten the best out of our library resources and services as well. You may still have some books or a laptop on loan from us – if you are coming towards the end of your course, it’s time to bring these back to us! The good news is that our return processes for both laptops and books are straightforward and self-service.

 

Returning Books…

 

All of our campus libraries have return boxes throughout the building, usually next to our self-service kiosks. To return a book to us and ensure the loan is cleared from your account, bring your books or items to a self-service kiosk in the library, click the red ‘Return’ button, and place the item or items under the kiosk screen to scan and process them as returns. Once you have done this, you can then place them in our return bins, and our library staff will re-shelve them again.

Don’t worry if you have forgotten to scan it through our library self-service kiosks when you drop it into our boxes however, our library staff scan all books we find in our return bins through the kiosks again to check if they have been requested by another patron, or simply sent to one of our other campus libraries to be reshelved. Which means yes – you can indeed return your books to a different campus library from which you retrieved or collected them! We also have return boxes in all Edinburgh Napier student accommodation buildings as well.

 

Can’t get to campus? You can also post any books or items you need to return to us by mailing them to one of our three campus addresses. We would recommend posting them in a padded envelope as items remain your responsibility until they arrive with us.

 

Returning Laptops…

 

Our Lapsafe lockers in all three of our campus libraries, the JKCC and Bainfield Student Accommodation, are self-service, and the returns process for our Lapsafe laptops is similar to the borrowing process. All you need to do is scan your physical or digital student card at the machine, click on the ‘Return’ button when this comes up on the screen and the locker from which you retrieved the laptop when you borrowed it will start flashing. You will then be able to open the locker and return the laptop along with the charger. Please ensure that you plug it into the USB-C charging cable inside as well to ensure it processes as a return. All Lapsafe laptops must be returned to the original campus or building locker from which they were borrowed.

 

If you are having trouble getting to campus to return a Lapsafe laptop device to us, we generally recommend asking someone to return it for you or arranging a courier service to deliver it to us. The person or courier returning the laptop to us on your behalf must have your student card on hand. We do not recommend sending the laptop to us, as it may be damaged in transit.

 

Opening Hours and Contact Details…

 

If you are having trouble returning any items or a Lapsafe laptop to us, or if you have any extenuating circumstances affecting this, you can get in touch with us by emailing library@napier.ac.uk or phoning 01314553500. We are more than happy to help! Our opening hours remain the same over the summer period, with our helpdesks open and helpdesk staff available from 8:45am-16:45pm to take any calls or answer any queries at our helpdesks or via email. You can find more information about our Opening Hours, staffed and unstaffed, in our My Napier webpages. This also includes further information about the essential works taking place at Merchiston campus library this summer, from the 18th of May until Friday 4 September 2026, and how this will also affect their opening hours and library space access.

 

By Rachel Downie

 

Read more about Merchiston library over the summer

Micro to Macro

Napier Exhibition: Micro to Macro

07/05/2026 / / 0 Comments

Napier Exhibition: Micro to Macro

Edinburgh Napier’s School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment Exhibition will return for its 5th year on 13th & 14th May (1pm-4pm) at our Merchiston campus.

Get up close and hands-on with the exciting technologies and equipment our lecturers and researchers use to push the boundaries of science and engineering.

Zoom in and try your hand at being a ‘micro-detective’.  See if you can identify what’s under our microscope.  Or learn how nano-fibres on your shoes are being used to power batteries.  Or chat with Euclid, Moira, and friends – our resident group of humanoid robots.  There’s so much to do and see, so come along to Merchiston campus and discover something amazing.

Our lecturers and researchers are constantly pushing boundaries to make everyday life easier, more productive, and more enjoyable. Their work spans every scale imaginable — from unlocking the secrets of the tiniest molecules to tackling some of the biggest challenges we face. It’s innovation at every level, from micro to macro, all driven by a passion to improve how we live.

Join us to explore the wealth of research and innovation that the School of Computing, Engineering & the Built Environment is developing to solve all types of problems, big or small.

The event is open to the public on 13th & 14th May.  More details are on our webpage, and people can register their interest:  Exhibition: Micro to Macro | Worlds within Worlds

Check out the video here

 

 

Merchiston summer

Merchiston Library: Changes to access during Summer 2026 

05/05/2026 / / 0 Comments

Merchiston Library: Changes to access during Summer 2026 

 

During Trimester 3 (Summer 2026), essential building works will take place in Merchiston Library. 
These works mean access to library spaces, and resources will be limited over the summer. 

 

We also expect noise and disruption throughout. We apologise for any inconvenience caused and will provide further updates as the works progress.

From Monday 18 May to Friday 4 September (inclusive):

Access to the Library 

  • Zone 1, the area near the helpdesk (including Group Study Room 8), will remain open. The Library helpdesk will remain open, with the usual Opening Hours.
     
  • All other library areas will be closed. This means no access to quiet, silent study spaces, print books, journals, and other items on shelves.  

 

Accessing library materials 

  • You can access many of our books and journals online using LibrarySearch. 
  • If you need print books from Merchiston Library, please request them in advance using the Click and Collect service, and library staff will have them ready for you near the helpdesk.  
  • Please allow extra time, as there may be delays and limited access to certain areas during the works. 
  • Access to some items, such as print journals, may be limited. 
    Please email library@napier.ac.uk if this will cause you any issues. 

 

Alternative study/work spaces 

 

You can also study or work in: 

  • The Jack Kilby Computer Centre at Merchiston 
  • Libraries or computer suites at Craiglockhart or Sighthill. 

 

Please note that you can find silent study spaces in Craiglockhart Library or Sighthill LRC and a Family Room is available at Craiglockhart Library. 

 

If you have any questions or need help, please contact the Library team. 
Email library@napier.ac.uk or call 0131 455 3500. 

Bringing back your lapsafe laptop

28/04/2026 / / 0 Comments

Bringing back your lapsafe laptop

Summertime is upon us – followed by the coming end to the exam and deadline season, hooray! You may have borrowed a Lapsafe laptop from us during this period to work on assignments, finish writing up essays and reports, or ultimately to study for upcoming exams and deadlines. If you were also lucky enough to get one during exam season (they go out so quickly at this time of year!), you may still have it on loan and may also be ready to return it to us again. The good news is that the return process is very quick and straightforward!

 

How to borrow a Lapsafe Laptop…

 

If you are in urgent need of a laptop, no matter what the reason may be, you can borrow a Lapsafe laptop from us at all three of our campus libraries, the JKCC and Bainfield Student Accommodation. Ensure that you have your physical or digital student ID card with you when borrowing from our self-service laptop lockers on campus. If there are any laptops available inside the Lapsafe tower you have scanned your card at, you will be assigned a locker that will flash when you click the ‘Borrow’ button. You will then be able to open the locker and retrieve your laptop and charger. This laptop is now yours for two weeks!

 

How to return a Lapsafe Laptop…

 

To return your Lapsafe laptop to us, you must go to the Lapsafe locker on campus or to the building where you originally borrowed the device. You must also have your physical or digital student card ready to scan at the Lapsafe locker. Once you have done so, click the ‘Return’ tab on the screen. The locker from which you borrowed the laptop will then start to flash, which means you can then open it and return the laptop along with the charging cable that came with it. There is a short USB-C cable in all Lapsafe lockers as well – please ensure to plug the device you are returning into this lead as this will fully process the device as returned!

 

If you feel it may be difficult or unfeasible for you to return the Lapsafe laptop by its due date, you can arrange for a courier or friend to return the device for you – just make sure they have your student card to hand when they return it. Still unsure if you will be able to return the laptop to us on time? Email us at library@napier.ac.uk or phone 0131 455 3500 to speak to one of our friendly library staff here at Edinburgh Napier University libraries.

 

Lapsafe Laptop Loan Policy…

 

Our Lapsafe laptops can be borrowed for up to two weeks maximum if needed. Due to these laptops being in such high demand, we cannot offer extensions on their loan periods as we generally can with our books and other physical resources. You can, however, take out another Lapsafe laptop right after you return the one you had on loan previously for another two weeks, provided that you do not have any fines or blocks on your library account. This is also dependent on the availability of our Lapsafe laptops as well – you can check if we have any available to borrow in all campuses and buildings by going into the Napier app, signing into your Napier account and selecting the ‘Laptop Availability’ tile.

 

All Lapsafe laptops must be returned to us on time – otherwise, access to the laptop, including the ability to log in, will likely be blocked. See our laptop loan guidance and terms and conditions on our Laptops to loan My Napier webpages.

 

By Rachel Downie

Exam support, we have a wide range to support 

 

 

 

 

English language

English Language Day

23/04/2026 / / 0 Comments

English Language Day

Whether English is your first language or you have learned it as a second language, you will be using a language that is spoken worldwide by billions of people. The United Nations first established English Language Day (ELD) in 2010 to inform people about the history, culture and achievements of English as it is one of the two working languages of the UN Secretariat and one of the organisation’s six official languages. ELD takes place on 23rd April, the date was chosen as it is the date of Shakespeare’s birth and death, and he is one of the most famous writers in English.

History of English

English has absorbed many influences over the centuries. It can trace its roots to a Germanic language which would have come to Britain when tribes such as the Angles, Saxons and Jutes began to arrive in Britain around the 5th century. Later, the language absorbed Norse vocabulary from Viking invaders, Latin from Christian missionaries, and French following the Norman Conquest in 1066. By the time Shakespeare was writing in the 16th and 17th centuries, English had many influences.

In later centuries, colonialism and trade fuelled the spread of English, and it gained prominence across the globe. In modern times, music, film, and social media continue to extend the reach of the language. Since 1932, the BBC has broadcast its World Service across many parts of the world, and this is how many living abroad with no access to language education have been able to learn English.

In modern times, English has continued to absorb words from other languages. There are also new words created to reflect changing technology and culture, which, through general widespread use, get added to the dictionary. In the past few years, words such as meme, deepfake and selfie, along with many more, have become so commonly used that they are now found in English dictionaries.

Common words from other languages

Some of our everyday English words have their roots in other languages – you may be surprised!

Shampoo – Originates from the Hindi word champo, meaning to massage or knead.

Rucksack – German

Cafe – French

Lemon – Arabic

Accents and dialects

Throughout the English-speaking world there are a huge range of accents and dialects. An American or Australian accent is instantly recognizable. Within the UK itself there’s a diverse range of accents – Scots, Geordie (Newcastle and surrounding area, England), Yorkshire, Cockney (London), and dialects which can reflect past influences in that area:

Scots/Geordie – The word “bairn” meaning child comes from the Norse “barn”. Barn is still used in Norwegian and Swedish to mean child.

Yorkshire – If someone from Yorkshire refers to laiking they are talking about playing. This comes from the Norse leika. Today in Norway “leke” means play.

Scots – Many Scots people talk about the “kirk” meaning church coming from the Norse “kirkja”. Today “kirke” is still used in Norwegian for church.

 

English Literature

Many of the world’s classic novels and texts have been written by authors using the English language. These texts are still read, taught and studied today.

Literature

William Shakespeare – Wrote 38 plays, 154 sonnets, and two long narrative poems. Works include Hamlet, Macbeth and Romeo and Juliet.

Charles Dickens – Through his vivid depictions of London life Dickens raised awareness of the poverty and hardships faced by the poorest of the population. Works include Oliver Twist, A Christmas Carol and David Copperfield.

Bronte Sisters – Classic novels Wuthering Heights, Jane Eyre and The Tenant of Wildfell Hall all feature strong female characters and touch on societal expectations and emotions of the time, all set in the dramatic Yorkshire countryside.

Mary Shelley – Her novel Frankenstein is an early example of the science fiction genre. She wrote other novels, short stories and travel books.

Jane Austen – Her novels’ plots often focus on the importance of a good marriage for women to secure financial stability and social standing.

JK Rowling – The Harry Potter series has become a modern literary classic.

Scientific texts

Many respected and influential scientific texts were written and first published in English, some of which are mentioned below:

Charles Darwin – On the Origin of Species. Fundamental texts on evolution and natural history.

Stephen Hawking – A Brief History of Time. Explores cosmology, the Big Bang, and black holes for a general audience.

Isaac Newton – Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica. Established the laws of motion and universal gravitation.

Social commentary

Many writers have used their works to raise awareness of issues important to them. Examples include:

George Orwell – Animal Farm. Focuses on Political Corruption & Totalitarianism.

William Golding – Lord of the Flies. Features social breakdown.

Aldous Huxley – Brave New World. Explores technological control.

Classic films

There are endless classic films in the English language, probably because Hollywood in America is one of the most prolific centres of film production. Some of the novels written by the authors mentioned above have been turned into films, some with multiple versions.

Would you like to take part in ELD? Why not try:

Reading a classic English Literature book, watching the film version or doing both to compare.

Attending a classic play at the theatre.

Have a listen to some regional dialects.

Hosting or joining a book club.

Whether it’s for study or pleasure, we hope you find English interesting, and there are many novels available to borrow from Merchiston campus library.

By Vivienne Hamilton

We have more language posts if you are interested? 

« Older posts

Contact Us

Email: library@napier.ac.uk

Telephone: 0131 455 3500

Bluesky: @ENULibrary

Instagram: @ENU_Library​

 

© 2026 The Library Blog

Theme by Anders Norén — Up ↑