In the library: how to read the books, and what they can tell us

Original eighteenth-century books are often fragile, and need to be handled with care. Volumes may be large and heavy, the bindings may be loose, or pages may have been repaired. National Library of Scotland staff show you how to support a book properly, and how to open it and turn the pages without damaging either the binding or the paper. This video will also show you what you can learn, not just from the text, but from the book as an artefact. Online research may have told you something of the history of the text; by looking at original editions, you may discover the history of the book itself: has a former owner left a signature, an inscription, or notes? Is the book in its original binding, or has it been rebound at a later date? Examining an original eighteenth-century book, feeling its weight and seeing whether the type is crisp and clear, will take you as close as possible to the experience of the historical publishers and their customers who produced and read the text.