Skip to content

Scottish Poetry Library

Register/Sign in
Shopping Bag Shopping Bag
Bringing people and poems together
  • Home
  • COVID-19
    • Re-Opening FAQ
  • Poetry
    • Poems
    • Poets
    • Poetry Ambassadors 2020
    • Best Scottish Poems
    • Podcasts
    • Poetry and Mindfulness
    • Our National Poet
    • Posters
    • Publishers
  • Library
    • Become a borrower
    • Catalogue
    • Collections
    • Ask a librarian
    • Copyright enquiries
  • Learning
    • National Poetry Day 2019
    • National Poetry Day archive
    • SQA set texts
    • Learning resources
    • New to poetry?
    • Advice for poets
  • Events
    • What’s On
    • Venue hire
  • Shop
    • Scottish Poetry
    • Poetry Pamphlet Cards
    • Pocket Poets
    • Scotland’s Makar
    • Help
  • About us
    • Our story
    • Our people
    • Our projects
    • Jobs
    • Our building
    • FAQs
    • Find us
  • Support us
    • Become a Friend
    • Donate
    • Easy Fundraising
  • Blog
Shopping BagShopping Bag
Ask a librarian
  • Home
  • >
  • Blog
  • >
  • Services currently available from SPL
Donate Donate icon Ask a Librarian Ask a Librarian icon

Services currently available from SPL

14 August 2020

Blog

UPDATE (04/02/21):
The Scottish Poetry Library is staffed on weekdays and offers a limited service while the COVID-19 pandemic continues. We’re offering:

  • Free postal loans with extended borrowing periods.
  • A ‘click and collect’ service; consult our catalogue to see if we have the book you want and then email our reception to secure it; you can then come down to the Library and pick up the books.
  • We cannot let borrowers into the Library to browse the shelves at the moment.
  • All transactions must take place at the entrance.

Social distancing is in place, with masks and gloves freely available and lots of hand sanitiser on display for use.  

Click and collect? It’s simple. Email our librarian reception@spl.org.uk or give us a call on 0131 557 2876 between 10am and 2pm, Monday to Friday, and if we have the book you’re after, and it’s not on loan, we’ll put the book aside, wrapped in a tote bag, for you to come to the building and collect between the hours mentioned earlier.  

If you don’t feel comfortable coming into the Library, we are offering free postal loans. After browsing our online catalogue, you can order a book you wish to borrow by emailing us at reception@spl.org.uk or calling 0131 557 2876 between 10am and 2pm, Monday to Friday. Postal borrowers will be able to have two books sent out to them. We will manage a once-a -week bulk postal service and provide a freepost label so you can return the books to us. Users might wish to consider quarantining their books for 72 hours after collecting them from the Library.

UPDATE (November 2020):
The Library is now open to visitors Monday to Friday, 10am to 2pm. Previously, our reduced Covid-safe service consisted of click and collect as well as free extended postal loans. Those services remain, but now our users can come into the building to browse our collection. As we’re only permitting three borrowers in the building at any one time, we recommend contacting the Library to book a slot. Anyone entering the Library must wear a mask and practice social distancing. Non-members will have to sign up for a library card to use the building unless it is to access the shop only. There will be a bathroom available for users. Our service is informed by the Government’s Covid-19 guidance for libraries.

Share this
Facebook
Twitter
Email
  • Newsletter signup
  • Accessibility
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Privacy Policy
Scottish Poetry Library
5 Crichton's Close, Canongate
Edinburgh EH8 8DT
Tel: +44 (0)131 557 2876
© Scottish Poetry Library 2021.
The Scottish Poetry Library is a registered charity (No. SCO23311).
City of Edinburgh logo Green Arts Initiative logo Creative Scotland logo
By leaves we live

The Scottish Poetry Library is staffed weekdays from 10am – 2pm and is providing a limited service including postal loans and Click & Collect. For details, click COVID-19 in the menu bar above. Dismiss