Orkney Library and Archive

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Orkney Library and Archive
ORKNEY LIBRARY AND ARCHIVE - KIRKWALL (9265843451).jpg
CountryScotland, UK
Established1683
LocationKirkwall
Coordinates58°58′58″N 2°57′47″W / 58.982774°N 2.963051°W / 58.982774; -2.963051Coordinates: 58°58′58″N 2°57′47″W / 58.982774°N 2.963051°W / 58.982774; -2.963051
Websitehttp://www.orkneylibrary.org.uk/
Map
Wikimedia | © OpenStreetMap

Orkney Library and Archive is a Scottish public library service based in Kirkwall, Orkney. Founded in 1683, Orkney Library is the oldest public library in Scotland.[1] Its rules date from 1815.[2][3] It has become known for its popular, humorous Twitter account.

History[]

The Orkney Library and Archive was founded in 1683 with a bequest of 150 books from . The collection was kept at the local manse before being transferred to St Magnus Cathedral. In 1740 the collection was moved to the Old Tollboth. In 1815 a number of subscribers to the collection founded The Orkney Library. The library was a subscription-only service until 1890 when a donation from Andrew Carnegie allowed the library to adopt the 1850 Public Libraries Act. A further donation was made by Carnegie in 1903 for a dedicated building. The new Carnegie Library opened on Laing Street in Kirkwall in 1909. The current library building on Junction Road, Kirkwall opened in August 2003.[4]

Archive[]

Library interior

The Archive was established in 1973.[5] The collection includes local history and genealogical records, photographs, sound recordings, and film. [6] The collection also includes letters from William Galloway to Sir Henry Dryden.[7] The Archive service was awarded accreditation in November 2017. [8]

Services[]

The Library offers access to over 145,000 items, including fiction and non-fiction titles, audiobooks, maps, eBooks, music CDs and DVDs.[9]

Twitter presence[]

The Library enjoys a good-natured and well publicised Twitter feud with Shetland Library.[10][11] J.K. Rowling paid a surprise trip to the library book group in 2016.[12]

References[]

  1. ^ "Orkney Archive - get dusty: History".
  2. ^ Orkney Library (1816). Institution, rules & catalogue of the Orkney Library : instituted 23d August 1815. Edinburgh: John Moir, Royal Bank Close.
  3. ^ Libraries and information servicesin the United Kingdom and the Repub. London: Facet Publishing. 2015. ISBN 9781856048019. OCLC 903237675.
  4. ^ http://www.orkneylibrary.org.uk/famousfriends.htm.org.uk/famousfriends.htm. Missing or empty |title= (help)
  5. ^ British archives : a guide to archive resources in the United Kingdom. Foster, Janet, 1948-, Sheppard, Julia. (4th ed.). Houndmills, Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave. 2002. p. 276. ISBN 9780333735367. OCLC 48588407.CS1 maint: others (link)
  6. ^ "About Orkney Archive".
  7. ^ Ritchie, Anna (2012). "From Colonsay to Whithorn : the work of a 19th-century antiquary, William Galloway". Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. 142: 435–465.
  8. ^ "About Orkney Archive".
  9. ^ "About our libraries".
  10. ^ Molloy, Mark (2016-04-05). "Incredible Twitter feud between remote Scottish libraries reignites". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
  11. ^ "Richard Coles fans the flames of library Twitter war - The Shetland Times". The Shetland Times. 2016-06-07. Retrieved 2018-02-05.
  12. ^ Flood, Alison (2016-03-07). "JK Rowling checks out Orkney's award-winning library in person". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-02-05.

External links[]

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