Art and Architecture Library

Art & Architecture Library closed until Monday 25th August 2025

The Art & Architecture Library at Minto House, Chambers Street, will be closed until 9.00am on Monday 25th August. 

From Monday 16th June, you will be able to place online requests via DiscoverEd for Art & Architecture Library books, for pickup at the Law Library, across Chambers Street in Old College. More details can be seen here.

The Library will also be offering our Scan and Deliver service as normal from 16th June.

Art & Architecture Library books borrowed either before or during the closure will be due back on Monday 1st September (**NB Reserve books will be due by 10:30am on this date**), but can be returned sooner if you wish.

If you need to return books previously borrowed from the Art & Architecture Library while it is closed, please return them at the nearby Law Library in Old College.

The Edinburgh College of Art Library at Evolution House, West Port, will retain normal summer opening hours to assist with any enquiries. The library helpdesk team can be contacted via email at library.account@ed.ac.uk.

We apologise for any inconvenience caused.

Pop up display at A&A Library

A poster advertising the Thinkbelt exhibition and symposium

We are delighted to have a pop up display of books relating to British architect Cedric Price (1934-2003), at the A&A Library, to coincide with the new Thinkbelt exhibition at the Mathew Gallery, Minto House.

The exhibition celebrates the legacy of Cedric Price and prompts reflection on how architecture can be useful, timely, delightful and permeable to respond to current environmental and social challenges.

Curated by Prof. María José Martínez Sánchez, Dr. Ana Bonet Miró, Martin Brown, the exhibition runs from 11-22 November 2024.

The exhibition’s centrepiece features two original market stall prototypes from the Drawing Matter Collection, designed by Price and never exhibited before. Alongside these prototypes, a range of archival materials – including prints of original drawings, texts, ephemera, film extracts and audio recordings – offers a glimpse into the diversity of Price’s practice and the interdisciplinary conversations that animated it.

In the spirit of Price’s Potteries Thinkbelt project, this initiative aims to stimulate discussions about some of the key principles of his architecture – such as the provision of user-centred designs that increase choice, encourage change, do more with less, facilitate easy assembly and disassembly, and create responsive designs that delight the communities they serve – in relation to a selection of pedagogies and practices at each school. It prompts some of Price’s key design questions: Who do we design for? How little need be done? For how long is it useful? How to make time visible in our designs? What might design for pleasure and delight mean today?

Some book shelves with a display of books about Cedric Price

Evolution House CLOSED until 20th June 2022

Latest update: Monday 23rd May 2022:
ECA Library is closed until 20th June 2022 due to a loss of power to Evolution House building.  Further information including reopening time will follow.
Click and Collect Service for ECA lending books:
The Click and Collect service for Edinburgh College of Art (ECA) Library lending books (Standard, Short Loan and Reserve items) is now available to University Staff and Students, and NHS Lothian Staff on a temporary basis.
To borrow from the ECA general collections showing as ‘Available’ (‘item in place’) please sign into DiscoverEd and ‘Request this item’; Once requests are processed and fetched by library staff, users will be notified by email and items should be collected from the Art & Architecture Library, Minto House, Chambers Street, during advertised opening hours.
Collecting requested items:
All requested items are collected from the Art & Architecture Library, Minto House, Chambers Street, after you have received a confirmation email.
From 27th May onwards the A&A Library opening hours are Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm only (closed at weekends).
Where should I return ECA items I have borrowed from Art & Architecture Library?
Items should be returned to the Art & Architecture Library (preferred) or Main Library, George Square.
For more information visit: https://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/library-museum-gallery/using-library/borrowing-a-book/books
Our online Library collections and services, including Scan & Deliver for items located at other University of Edinburgh libraries and Interlibrary Loans service remain available to all.
Use DiscoverEd to find print books and journals available at other site libraries, as well as ebooks, ejournal articles, database content and other materials available online from the Library.
Information about alternative study space is available on the Library study space page.

Art & Architecture Library at Minto House re-opens!

We are very pleased to be able to announce that the A&A Library at Minto House, Chambers Street, re-opened on Wednesday 21st October! Opening hours for this library are Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 5.00pm.
You can visit the A&A Library to browse, and borrow books. There are 7 pre-bookable study spaces allowing for social distancing. Please note that you MUST pre-book your study space in any of the libraries. To do that please go to https://seated.iot.ed.ac.uk/
Please note there are 165 study spaces further along Chambers Street, in Adam House and 7-8 Chambers Street.
Please remember that you are required to wear a face covering for all library visits. Please show respect to your fellow students and to the staff working in the libraries by wearing your face covering correctly over your nose and mouth, and stick to the 2 metre social distancing rule in place for everyone’s safety.

For further information about the A&A Library please click here.
For information about ECA Library at Evolution House, click here.
For the latest library updates, including how to book a study space, please go to the library homepage.

Update on Art & Architecture Library, Minto House, Chambers Street

Monday 9th September 2019:
The Art & Architecture Library at Minto House, Chambers Street, returns to its usual opening hours of 9.00am – 5.00pm, Monday to Friday, from today.
This library is now under the management of Information Services Group.
For more information, please see its new webpage at: www.ed.ac.uk/is/art-and-arch-library
We look forward to welcoming you to the Library!