Law library of the Faculty of Advocates, in Edinburgh
The Advocates Library, founded in 1682, is the
law library of the
Faculty of Advocates, in Edinburgh.[1] It served as the national
deposit library of Scotland until 1925, at which time through an Act of Parliament[2] the
National Library of Scotland was created. All the non-legal collections were transferred to the National Library. Today, it alone of the Scottish libraries still holds the privilege of receiving a copy of every law book entered at
Stationers' Hall.
Librarian
Samuel Halkett began an ambitious catalogue, based on the rules of
John Winter Jones for the
British Museum catalogue of 1839, but with extensive biographical information on authors. It was published in six volumes, from 1858 to 1878.[5] Halkett's successor,
Thomas Hill Jamieson, had to deal with a fire that damaged some thousands of books on 9 March 1875.[6]
By 1923 the library held around 725,000 books and pamphlets.[7]
Keepers
1684–1693 James Nasmith[8] (NB in place before official opening.)