SCURL AGM, 7 th June 2013

 A brief history of RBGE and the Library  The Library today  The RBGE Archives  Current projects

 Founded in 1670 as a physic garden near Holyrood by Andrew Balfour & Robert Sibbald  Second oldest botanic garden in Britain

 1699: Royal Warrant of William III appointed James Sutherland Regius (Royal) Keeper  1763: Under John Hope, the Garden moves to a new site on Leith Walk (now occupied by Haddington Place)  : The Garden moves to the current site at Inverleith

 "Exploring and explaining the world of plants for a better future“  In 1986, RBGE became a Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) sponsored and supported financially by the Scottish Government's Rural Payments and Inspections Directorate (RPID)  A scientific institution, dedicated to discovering and describing plants and their relationships, evolution, conservation and biology  Approximately 250 staff across 4 sites

 The Garden accounts indicate that it bought books from around 1766 onwards ◦ Prior to this the books were purchased by the Keeper and so were his personal property  In 1872 the Library of the Botanical Society of Edinburgh was donated to the RBGE  In 1880 the Keeper obtained Government approval to buy books and journals from the Garden’s general funds

 Scotland's national reference collection for specialist botanical and horticultural resources  The Collection ◦ Approximately 70,000 books ◦ 150,000 bound volumes of periodicals ◦ 1,200 current journals ◦ 40,000 botanical illustrations ◦ 60,000 photographic images

 National Heritage (Scotland) Act 1985 ◦ National reference collection ◦ Open to the public - Monday – Friday, 10am – 4pm  Support the work of the Garden ◦ Science ◦ Horticulture  Education ◦ Exhibitions ◦ Corporate services (e.g. PRSA 2011) ◦ Enterprise

 Maintains the official record of RBGE activities  Includes: ◦ Collecting & plant records ◦ Correspondence ◦ Maps ◦ Drawings ◦ Artefacts, e.g. gifts to the RK, medals, etc  RBGE is a public body and is covered by the Public Records (Scotland) Act 2011

 New Head of Library Services in January 2013  Library strategic plan ◦ Collection development policy ◦ Review of space ◦ Preservation assessment survey  To date: ◦ New self-service & book scanners ◦ Review of security ◦ Copyright training session ◦ Disaster management!

Contact: ◦ ◦ Library ◦ Archives