Edinburgh Central Library

29/08/2026

BLACK CAT CINEMA RETURNS!!🎬🎞🍿🎟

🎥Join us on Tuesday 8th September @ 2pm for the return of Central Library's own cinema - Black Cat Cinema. The first film of our Autumn Season will be a classic dark musical from 1972. It won 8 academy Awards and its original source material is a semi-autobiographical 1939 novel.

GRAB YOUR FREE TICKETS HERE BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE:
https://www.ticketsource.com/edinburgh-central-library/black-cat-cinema-presents-films-at-central-library/2026-09-08/14:00/t-vxjerlv

We look forward to seeing you there!

25/08/2026

Music on the Mezzanine returns this Saturday!

Join us on Saturday 29 August at 1:00 PM for the first concert of the autumn season, as we welcome Eric Yin Yu and three talented Hong Kong musicians to the Mezzanine level of the library.
Now living in the UK, these performers come together from different paths — study, work, and new beginnings — united by a shared love of music. Through their performances, they will celebrate the sounds and stories of Hong Kong, featuring contemporary Cantopop, works by Hong Kong composers drawing inspiration from their Scottish stories.
Though they are a small community, they carry a big dream: to connect people through music.
Come and enjoy an uplifting afternoon of music, memory, and cultural connection on the Mezzanine.
Book your free tickets today at www.ticketsource.com/edinburgh-central-library/eric-yin-yu-and-friend-at-music-on-the-mezzanine/e-evbxxo

📍 Mezzanine level, Central Library
📅 Saturday 29 August
🕐 1:00 PM

24/08/2026

***Final week of Seaside, Riverside, Treeside in the Art & Design Library***

There's just this week remaining to view Julie Galante's exhibition of captivating and vibrant mixed-media paintings and drawings of Edinburgh, the Lothians and beyond.

Pop in before Saturday, 29th August, at 5pm, to enjoy Julie's work and to take a breather from the city-centre crowds.

Find out more about Julie and her work over on Instagram

All of the art works on display are for sale.

19/08/2026

Music on the Mezzanine returns!

Join us on Saturday 29 August at 1:00 PM for the first concert of the autumn season, as we welcome Eric Yin Yu and three talented Hong Kong musicians to the Mezzanine level of the library.

Now living in the UK, these performers come together from different paths — study, work, and new beginnings — united by a shared love of music. Through their performances, they will celebrate the sounds and stories of Hong Kong, featuring contemporary Cantopop, works by Hong Kong composers drawing inspiration from their Scottish stories.

Though they are a small community, they carry a big dream: to connect people through music.

Come and enjoy an uplifting afternoon of music, memory, and cultural connection on the Mezzanine.

📍 Mezzanine level, Library
📅 Saturday 29 August
🕐 1:00 PM

18/08/2026

*** Art & Design Library August cabinet display***

Have you ever noticed the decorative details on the outside and inside of Central Library? Have you ever wondered who carved the stone and wood, modelled the plaster, decorated and fitted the tiles or painted the Reference Library dome?

This month's display in the cabinet outside the Art and Design Library, "Building History", aims to answer some of the questions about who made Central Library using archives, historical journals and books found in the Art and Design and Edinburgh and Scottish collections and digital resources available via the Edinburgh Libraries' website.

Items on display include a list of the contractors involved in the construction of the library taken from the original leather-bound, handwritten Clerk of Works' weekly report and payment book for the construction of Central Library; contemporary contractors' adverts found in the Post Office Directories (via the National Library of Scotland digital collections); an obituary of the stone carver responsible for "Let There Be Light" and other panels and decoration visible from George IV Bridge; and a contemporary training manual for plasterers.

Pop by until the end of August to take a closer look!

Find out more about previous research into who made Central Library by searching "tradesmen" on the Tales of One City blog: https://talesofonecity.wordpress.com

08/08/2026

***August exhibition in the Art & Design Library***

This month we are delighted to welcome Edinburgh-based artist, Julie Galante, with her exhibition Seaside, Riverside, Treeside.

Julie's captivating and vibrant oil, watercolour and mixed-media paintings and drawings of Edinburgh, the Lothians and beyond in Scotland are inspired by time spent outdoors immersed in nature. In fact, many of the 30+ works Julie is showing, of her favourite vistas and trees were made partly or entirely "en plein air" (outdoors) while her materials include botanical inks made from foraged plants.

You can find out more about Julie Galante and her work on Instagram and on our Tales of One City blog: https://talesofonecity.wordpress.com/2026/08/03/seaside-riverside-treeside-art-and-design-library-exhibition-august-2026/

All of the work on display is for sale.

Pop in to enjoy Julie's work and to take a breather from the city-centre August crowds until 29th August.

05/08/2026

Please drop by to see:

”D O N Q U I X O T E”

A series of 30 etchings by Scottish artist, William Strang (1859 - 1921); illustrations to Miguel de Cervantes’ novel, published by Macmillan in 1902.

Presented by The Victor Murphy Trust in celebration of its 20th anniversary year.

4. - 29. August 2026

Mezzanine level, Edinburgh Central Library
7 - 9 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, EH1 1EG

Mon. - Wed., 10 - 8
Thurs. - Sat., 10 - 5

31/07/2026

How delightful it is to read about Bob’s adventures with books on the Blog. Bob is a member of one of our book groups and has kindly shared some fantastic recommendations along with tips on how he weaves reading into his everyday life. We’d love to hear from more of our enthusiastic readers on this theme, so do please click through to discover how you can share your own story in this National Year of Reading.

In this National Year of Reading, we've been asking colleagues and library members - "How do you Go All In for Reading?"
In our latest blog article, avid reader and Edinburgh Central Library book group member, Bob, shares his love of reading -

"My reading is various. I mainly read classic fiction, contemporary fiction and history but also include philosophy, biography, society, scientific subjects and (never enough) poetry. I currently read 150+ books a year. I am also a member of 5 book groups as I love to discuss the books I read. Book groups are also a way to discover books I might otherwise not come across."

Read the rest of Bob's article via Tales of One City >
https://zurl.co/JtfBU

30/07/2026

Central Library Book Group member Bob shares his reading habits in our National Year of Reading Go All in for Reading series of questions.

In this National Year of Reading we’re asking colleagues and library members to join us as we Go All In for Reading by sharing their love of reading. We’ve posed a series of questions a…