scene

Library
C o r n e r
While still dealing with
Aberdeen‘s, we inherited stock
from Glasgow
Time flies when you are having fun, or so I’m told. It has been an
eventful year since the opening of the National Script Library at
Summerhall Arts Centre, Edinburgh. No sooner had we sorted and
(almost) catalogued the contents transferred from the Eastern
Division Library, than we received 50 odd crates and boxes of
scripts from the closure of the Aberdeen Library. While still
dealing with them, we inherited the script stock from the
Mitchell Library, Glasgow – oh joy!
Thankfully Alison McCallum and I had a couple of visits to the
Mitchell to inspect and prune the stock before it was packed,
even so, another 50 odd crates of scripts came through to be
incorporated.
It has been a massive undertaking especially for Alison who
has done the main “donkey work” of unpacking books and
organising the shelves, but it’s such a satisfying result. We
are very proud of it.
I have been promoting the library as having “well over 20,000
titles” but that really is a very conservative estimate, so I
should now be quoting 40,000. Honest! To explain - we have over 13,500 records of play titles
but this is by no means the whole picture because, although many plays are in a number of volumes, there are also
many shelves-worth of volumes which are each only listed as one record but which
contain 4, 8, 12, 20, 35, nay even 50 titles! As the kids say “do the math”.
The catalogue is available to download from both the national website and Edinburgh
District website. There’s a filterable Excel spreadsheet and a pdf which is easier to use if
you are not familiar with spreadsheets. Both types are fully searchable. Please don’t
attempt to print them, the spreadsheet covers around 850 pages and the pdf around
757. We receive new scripts regularly and they are entered into the database straight
away. Of course our main borrowers are SCDA
members but the Friends Scheme is gaining
popularity too, with our most recent member
being from Wylam, Northumberland – yes,
England, the start of our international section.
Heaven help anyone
messing Alison’s shelves!
A Year in the Life of the
National Script Library
Others include researchers, students and U3A
groups (University Of The Third Age).
Is your area on this map showing the
geographical spread over the past year?
For the statistics-geeks amongst you: Over the past year a total of 67
Clubs/Ind. Members/Friends have made use of the facilities, representing
15% of those eligible (including Individual members). 33 borrowers were
clubs (27% of all clubs). 422 titles were borrowed in 540 transactions (some
titles being popular).
Douglas Currie, the Senior Librarian, wrote for the National Trustees Report
“When age finally catches up (!) I am delighted to report that the Library for
the future is in excellent hands.”
However, we cannot rest on our laurels. It is vital that more of our membership
make full use of this facility. The opening hours are Tues 2pm to 7pm, Weds
3pm to 5pm or, if you really cannot make those hours (or even days) we are
willing to be flexible. Get in touch and we will see what we can arrange. During
the summer “break” we had visitors every week and on a couple of occasions
opened specially for them. We MEAN it when we say “also by arrangement”.
The terms have been amended to provide a longer loan period (9 weeks
instead of 6). There is a limit on the number of titles out to a member at any
one time, and we will be charging for overdue scripts. Members/Friends are
eligible to borrow 9 single titles; 1 set+6 singles; 2 sets+3 singles, or 3 sets. We
are not limiting the number of copies in a set providing that one copy is left in
the library. There is an admin charge for the postal service of £2 for the first
script and 50p per script thereafter, plus we reclaim the postage. Just email us
library@scda.org.uk or phone us 07799408608.
Susan Wales, Assistant Librarian
8
The corridor’s ready
for SCDA posters.
[Hint!]
The International Script Library