COL at the National Library of Scotland: Behind the Scenes

Content of Course

1. Introducing the library, including a brief tour.

2. Examples from the Archives lecture: Introduce categories of archive/manuscript (editions, letters, contracts, diaries, scores) which will feature in the afternoon.  

3. Visit to the archives.

4. Discussion, to include: how archive materials aid research; how the library acquires them; preservation techniques.

Teaching method(s)

The course will comprise a tour, lecture, a visit to the archives, group discussion and close reading.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this course, students should be able to:

• Demonstrate understanding of the breadth of material housed within the archives;

• Discuss the purposes of collections and archives, and their contemporary relevance;

• Demonstrate awareness of the basic principles of procurement and preservation of archive material.

• Demonstrate an understanding of how a literary career is negotiated with publishers.

Sources

Core Readings

• Small, Ian and Walsh, Marcus., 1991. The Theory and Practice of Text-Editing. Cambridge: CUP.

• Shillingsburg, Peter., 1997. Resisting Texts. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Press.

Web Sources

http://www.nls.uk

Class Handouts

There will be handouts with manuscript copies and further information.

Queries

If you have questions regarding the course or enrolment, please contact COL Reception at Paterson's Land by email COL@ed.ac.uk or by phone 0131 650 4400.

Student support

If you have a disability, learning difficulty or health condition which may affect your studies, please let us know by ticking the 'specific support needs' box on your course application form. This will allow us to make appropriate adjustments in advance and in accordance with your rights under the Equality Act 2010. For more information please visit the Student Support section of our website.