Friends of St Andrews University Library
The Friends of St Andrews University Library was founded in 2007 with the aim of:
- Promoting the reputation of the Library and encouraging interest in its collections.
- Facilitating the learning and research mission of the Library via the organisation of scholarly activities.
- Engaging with the local and academic communities, and the community of interested individuals remote from St Andrews, in the work and mission of the Library, particularly in the work of the Special Collections Department.
- Supporting the Library in its acquisition of rare books, manuscripts and other valuable items which it might not normally afford.
- Acting as a channel for gifts of books and manuscripts to enhance the Library's collections, especially those of the Special Collections Department.
Membership of the Friends brings you:
- The opportunity to participate in an annual programme of events such as lectures, visits and "treasure tours" of Special Collections.
- A newsletter containing details of recent purchases made possible by the Friends, announcements and reports on Friends' activities, and news about the Library generally.
- The chance to contribute to the improvement and status of the Library and its collections.
- Half-price Admitted Reader membership of the Library (£15.00 annual membership, £60.00 life membership).
About the Library
The University of St Andrews Library has its origins in the fifteenth century in the separate libraries of the colleges of St Leonard, St Salvator and St Mary, which were founded before the University itself. These formed the first collections of books within the institution, and were significantly enhanced in 1611-1612 when King James VI and I and members of his family presented over 200 volumes to the University to mark the founding of the Common Library. From 1710 to 1837 the Library was entitled to a copy of every book printed in Britain under the Copyright Deposit Act, which has resulted in a particularly strong collection of eighteenth-century material, with a special emphasis on books relating to the Scottish Enlightenment. Although the copyright privilege was relinquished in 1837, the Library has continued to purchase rare books, particularly in fields related to the University's teaching and research. The Buchanan Collection, the J D Forbes Collection, the Lang Collection, and the Typographical Collection may be singled out for special mention, but a full list of the special collections available may be consulted on the Special Collections web pages.
The Library also holds one of the largest and most important collections of historic photography in Scotland, reflecting the fact that St Andrews played a key role in the development of the photographic process. Pioneer photographer Sir David Brewster was Principal of the University from 1838 to 1859, and the collection contains many examples of the early work of John and Robert Adamson, David Octavius Hill and Thomas Rodger.
Manuscript holdings are similarly rich, ranging from Greek papyri and medieval philosophical treatises to modern business records. There are strong collections of papers relating to individuals or studies connected with the University (the papers, for example, of the eminent nineteenth-century scientist D'Arcy Thompson), and there is a fine range of theological material, particularly relating to the Roman Catholic Modernist Movement. There is also a small but high quality collection of oriental items, mostly in Arabic, Persian or Turkish, containing specimens dating from the middle ages to the nineteenth century.
Membership
Membership is open to anyone interested in the University of St Andrews Library and costs £40.00 per year (August 1 - July 31)
A Friends Membership Application Form (PDF, 887 KB) should returned to: Dr Alice Crawford, University of St Andrews Library, North St, St Andrews. KY16 9TR.
To subscribe online, please contact the University's online shop.
Local history publications
Friends of the Library may be interested in some of the Library's local history publications. A full list is available on the Library's Publications page. Most may be purchased online via the University's online shop, or by writing to the Library Secretary (at University of St Andrews Library, North St, St Andrews. KY16 9TR, email library@st-andrews.ac.uk), or by calling in person at the Service Desk on Level 2.