Soon after the idea of the Scottish Heritage Festival was launched it became apparent that the Library could be a major focal point of the occasion. Thus, much of the Library's display space has been reserved for Scottish material, and tours of the building have been organized highlighting the areas where Scottish-related items are to be found.
This Scottish Festival issue of Collection Update aims to provide the reader with some idea of the scope and variety of the Library's Scottish Collection. No attempt has been made to give an exhaustive survey of Scottish materials. A list of all the Scottish items, for example, would run to hundreds of computer print out pages. Government publications, maps, manuscripts and journals would all need to be added to a complete inventory of regular and rare book items.
This issue, then, merely delineates collection features such as Scottish agriculture or literature, or describes particular collections such as the Campbell of Monzie Papers or the John Galt letters in the Lizars Collection. The introductory article purports to guide the user around the Library in his search for Scottish material. The accompanying bibliography includes earlier publications on the collection in general, and on specific terms or collections.
True to the tradition of Collection Update the articles reflect a potpourri of literary styles and approaches to the material, running the gamut from a scholarly disquisition on Scottish estate papers to a lighthearted essay on curling. It is hoped that the reader will emerge somewhat more appreciative of Guelph's vast treasure trove of Scottish library materials and venture to explore its resources in person.
Thanks to all the contributors who found time to complete their articles in the midst of heavy schedules. Darlene Wiltsie helped with the typing, and last, but certainly not least, Information Services Librarian Robert Logan shepherded the issue through the complexities of on-campus publishing in his usual inimitable fashion
Note 2004: some alterations in text have been made, e.g. floor locations, to reflect changes made in the library since 1983 and to provide for web formatting.
