Books and Borrowing 1750-1830

The eighteen libraries in the Books and Borrowing dataset can be accessed through this page. The map below shows their locations. Press on a book icon to see brief details of the library in question. Note that there are four libraries in Edinburgh and two in Glasgow; zoom in to separate out the book icons in these locations (the Hunterian Museum Library and the Glasgow University Library will only separate out at the very closest level of zoom).

In the table below, press on ‘Open’ to see further details of each library, including images of the borrowers’ registers and all transcriptions. Press on a table heading to order the table by your chosen column; press a second time to reverse the order.

NameLocationFoundation dateTypeRegistersBooksBorrowersBorrowing records
Aberdeen Theological Library
Open View on map 57.14929-2.09695
Aberdeen1700Institutional73602783333
Advocates Library
Open View on map 55.949350169861496-3.1895776060998053
Edinburgh1682Institutional54589993211812
Chambers' Circulating Library
Open View on map 55.953440425191246-3.197450443879709
Edinburgh1828Other19193117319
Craigston Castle Library
Open View on map 57.584809090630834-2.399414159156975
Craigston1604Other1396189684
Dumfries Presbytery Library
Open View on map 55.070724-3.611993
Dumfriesc.1706Other16362493475
Edinburgh University Library
Open View on map 55.94754-3.18670
Edinburgh1582Institutional362339206914638
Glasgow University Library
Open View on map 55.860528-4.239364
Glasgow1451Institutional83476101315372
Haddington Library
Open View on map 55.954896-2.773803
Haddington1717Other24627435187
Hunterian Museum Library
Open View on map 55.86052-4.23939
Glasgow1807Institutional124442368
Innerpeffray Library
Open View on map 56.344872027554935-3.77670835767098
Innerpeffray1680Other179311825393
Inverness Kirk Sessions Library
Open View on map 57.48013426746443-4.2277310000734145
Inverness1706Institutional1382061
Leighton Library
Open View on map 56.18868495530077-3.964384274529208
Dunblane1688Subscription58093066737
Orkney Library
Open View on map 58.98140-2.96056
Kirkwall1683Subscription42361271636
Royal High School of Edinburgh
Open View on map 55.9487994-3.1843593
Edinburgh1658Institutional51966241019968
Selkirk Library
Open View on map 55.54846458930639-2.8424136727292666
Selkirk1772Subscription283217911812
St Andrews University Library
Open View on map 56.33934-2.79426
St Andrews1612Institutional25756067321578
Westerkirk
Open View on map
Bentpath1793-01-20Subscription129316610239
Wigtown Subscription Library
Open View on map 54.868552-4.441585
Wigtown1795Subscription43451036230

This bar chart shows borrowing spans and number of borrowings across all libraries throughout the period so that you can quickly establish which decades are covered by each library in our dataset for the purposes of accurate comparison. Hover over the name of a library in the box underneath the bar chart to highlight data relating to that library. Press on that library’s name in the box to remove it from the bar chart; press on the name again to restore it.
 
Note that our coverage is selective, not comprehensive, and we hope this bar chart makes transparent where comparison is possible and where it is not.

[{"lat":57.14929,"lng":-2.09695,"tip":"Aberdeen Theological Library","popup":"

Aberdeen Theological Library

Location: Aberdeen
Foundation date: 1700
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 7
Number of books: 360
Number of borrowers: 278
Number of library records: 3333

","slug":"aberdeen-theological"},{"lat":55.949350169861496,"lng":-3.1895776060998053,"tip":"Advocates Library","popup":"

Advocates Library

Also known as Advocates' Library

Location: Edinburgh
Foundation date: 1682
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 54
Number of books: 5899
Number of borrowers: 932
Number of library records: 11812

","slug":"advocates"},{"lat":55.953440425191246,"lng":-3.197450443879709,"tip":"Chambers' Circulating Library","popup":"

Chambers' Circulating Library

Also known as Robert Chambers' Circulating Library

Location: Edinburgh
Foundation date: 1828
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 919
Number of borrowers: 311
Number of library records: 7319

","slug":"chambers"},{"lat":57.584809090630834,"lng":-2.399414159156975,"tip":"Craigston Castle Library","popup":"

Craigston Castle Library

Location: Craigston
Foundation date: 1604
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 396
Number of borrowers: 189
Number of library records: 684

","slug":"craigston-castle"},{"lat":55.070724,"lng":-3.611993,"tip":"Dumfries Presbytery Library","popup":"

Dumfries Presbytery Library

Location: Dumfries
Foundation date: c.1706
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 636
Number of borrowers: 249
Number of library records: 3475

","slug":"dumfries-presbytery"},{"lat":55.94754,"lng":-3.18670,"tip":"Edinburgh University Library","popup":"

Edinburgh University Library

Also known as University of Edinburgh Library

Location: Edinburgh
Foundation date: 1582
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 36
Number of books: 2339
Number of borrowers: 2069
Number of library records: 14638

","slug":"edinburgh-university"},{"lat":55.860528,"lng":-4.239364,"tip":"Glasgow University Library","popup":"

Glasgow University Library

Also known as University of Glasgow Library

Location: Glasgow
Foundation date: 1451
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 8
Number of books: 3476
Number of borrowers: 1013
Number of library records: 15372

","slug":"glasgow-university"},{"lat":55.954896,"lng":-2.773803,"tip":"Haddington Library","popup":"

Haddington Library

Also known as John Gray Library

Location: Haddington
Foundation date: 1717
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 2
Number of books: 462
Number of borrowers: 743
Number of library records: 5187

","slug":"haddington"},{"lat":55.86052,"lng":-4.23939,"tip":"Hunterian Museum Library","popup":"

Hunterian Museum Library

Location: Glasgow
Foundation date: 1807
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 244
Number of borrowers: 42
Number of library records: 368

","slug":"hunterian-museum"},{"lat":56.344872027554935,"lng":-3.77670835767098,"tip":"Innerpeffray Library","popup":"

Innerpeffray Library

Also known as The Library of Innerpeffray

Location: Innerpeffray
Foundation date: 1680
Type of library: Other
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 793
Number of borrowers: 1182
Number of library records: 5393

","slug":"innerpeffray"},{"lat":57.48013426746443,"lng":-4.2277310000734145,"tip":"Inverness Kirk Sessions Library","popup":"

Inverness Kirk Sessions Library

Also known as Inverness Presbyterial Library

Location: Inverness
Foundation date: 1706
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 1
Number of books: 38
Number of borrowers: 20
Number of library records: 61

","slug":"inverness-kirk-sessions"},{"lat":56.18868495530077,"lng":-3.964384274529208,"tip":"Leighton Library","popup":"

Leighton Library

Also known as Bibliotheca Leightoniana
Leightonian Library
Library of Dunblane

Location: Dunblane
Foundation date: 1688
Type of library: Subscription
Number of library registers: 5
Number of books: 809
Number of borrowers: 306
Number of library records: 6737

","slug":"leighton"},{"lat":58.98140,"lng":-2.96056,"tip":"Orkney Library","popup":"

Orkney Library

Also known as Kirkwall Library, Orkney Subscription Library

Location: Kirkwall
Foundation date: 1683
Type of library: Subscription
Number of library registers: 4
Number of books: 236
Number of borrowers: 127
Number of library records: 1636

","slug":"orkney"},{"lat":55.9487994,"lng":-3.1843593,"tip":"Royal High School of Edinburgh","popup":"

Royal High School of Edinburgh

Also known as High School of Edinburgh

Location: Edinburgh
Foundation date: 1658
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 5
Number of books: 1966
Number of borrowers: 2410
Number of library records: 19968

","slug":"royal-high-school-edinburgh"},{"lat":55.54846458930639,"lng":-2.8424136727292666,"tip":"Selkirk Library","popup":"

Selkirk Library

Also known as Selkirk Subscription Library

Location: Selkirk
Foundation date: 1772
Type of library: Subscription
Number of library registers: 2
Number of books: 832
Number of borrowers: 179
Number of library records: 11812

","slug":"selkirk"},{"lat":56.33934,"lng":-2.79426,"tip":"St Andrews University Library","popup":"

St Andrews University Library

Location: St Andrews
Foundation date: 1612
Type of library: Institutional
Number of library registers: 25
Number of books: 7560
Number of borrowers: 673
Number of library records: 21578

","slug":"st-andrews"},{"lat":54.868552,"lng":-4.441585,"tip":"Wigtown Subscription Library","popup":"

Wigtown Subscription Library

Location: Wigtown
Foundation date: 1795
Type of library: Subscription
Number of library registers: 4
Number of books: 345
Number of borrowers: 103
Number of library records: 6230

","slug":"wigtown"}]
["1730-1739","1740-1749","1750-1759","1760-1769","1770-1779","1780-1789","1790-1799","1800-1809","1810-1819","1820-1829","1830-1839","1840-1849"]
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