Consult items from University Collections in the Napier Reading Room

The Napier Reading Room offers a quiet, supervised space for staff, students, and the public to consult original materials, with guidance and support from trained staff.

• What we will do
• How this will be delivered
• Booking
• Prior to your appointment
• Arrival at Martyrs Kirk
• During your appointment
• If you can't attend your appointment

What we will do:

We will provide access to requested items from the University Collections, including archival material, rare books, photographs, and museum objects. Specialist advice will be offered to support research, classwork, or assignments based on the collections. We will assist in identifying suitable items for teaching or research and suggest alternatives if the requested materials are unavailable.  

How this will be delivered:

• We will provide access to requested items from the University Collections, including archival material, rare books, photographs, and museum objects. 
• We will offer specialist advice to support research, classwork, or assignments based on the collections. 
• We will assist with identifying suitable items for use in teaching or research and suggest alternatives if the requested material is unavailable. 
• We will prepare up to 10 items for each Reading Room appointment. For larger requests, users should contact us directly to discuss options. 
• We will deliver items for use in the Napier Reading Room, assign users a workspace, and supervise handling in line with conservation standards. 
• We will arrange digitisation of materials where appropriate, subject to availability and copyright considerations. 
• We will register new users upon their first visit, requiring completion of a short form and presentation of photographic ID. 
• We will respond to email enquiries sent to unicolls@st-andrews.ac.uk within three working days (Monday to Friday, excluding holidays). If more time is required, we will inform users of the delay. 
• We will respond to phone and in-person enquiries at Martyrs Kirk with an initial reply within three minutes and follow up within three working days. 
• We will process non-teaching appointment requests submitted with at least five working days’ notice and confirm availability due to preparation requirements. 
• We will process teaching requests submitted with at least ten working days’ notice and confirm arrangements.  
• We will prepare up to 10 requested items for consultation in the Reading Room for each appointment. For requests exceeding this limit, users should contact unicolls@st-andrews.ac.uk. 

Booking:

To book an appointment in the Napier Reading Room to view rare books, manuscripts, photographs, archival material and some museum objects, email unicolls@st-andrews.ac.uk at least five working days before providing at least one of the following combinations for each item:  

• Classmark or Reference Number (mandatory, with link to catalogue search to allow user to find it).
• Title or Description (or both).

It may not be possible to produce some items due to their size, fragility, and other access restrictions. The University Collections team will advise on alternative arrangements.

Prior to your appointment:

• Undergraduates and community users must collect a day pass from the Main Library to allow access to the Martyrs Kirk (postgraduates and staff may head directly there). 

Arrival at Martyrs Kirk:

• Directions to Martyrs Kirk can be found on our Napier Reading Room webpage. 
• New users are required to register. If this is your first visit, please bring photographic ID with you (such as passport/driving licence/bus pass). 
• Please arrive at your allotted start time.  
• Coats and bags must be left in the lockers provided.  
• Phones, laptops and other materials for taking notes may be used in the Reading Room. Ensure electronic equipment is in ‘silent’ mode. Pencils only – no pens.  
• No food or drink is allowed in the Reading Room.  
• You will be asked to wash your hands before entering the Reading Room.

During your appointment:

• When you arrive, a seat will be assigned to you in the Reading Room, and your requested materials will be brought to you.  
• Feel free to take breaks as needed throughout your visit. 
• If you finish with an item, simply let the supervisor know and they’ll collect it for you. 
• Appointments conclude at 4:00 PM to allow time for preparation between visitors.  
• If you’re still using materials at that time, staff will collect them directly from your desk.  
• Staff will collect your day pass at the end of your visit. 
• If you’d like to book another appointment, just let the staff member at reception know—they’ll be happy to help. 

If you are not able to make your appointment, or your arrival will be delayed, please let us know via  Unicolls@st-andrews.ac.uk or by phone on 01334 467380.  For more information on handling materials, facilities and taking photographs please visit our Napier Reading Room web page.