Edinburgh Central Library

[Burnie_man]

What's the procedure at the Library these days for looking at microfilm copies of newspapers?

I went once many moons ago, and had to go through the rigmarole of getting one of the staff to find the roll of film I wanted, sign for it, then take it back when finished for him to go and get another roll, sign for it etc etc. It was a bit of contrast to what I'm used to at local libraries where it's basically "help yourself"

It's getting to a stage in my Junior research that I'll need to interrogate some Edinburgh papers. What's the best papers for East Junior coverage of results/tables for the inter-war period?

[Tom Brogan]

I was there about a year ago. Although the wee woman wound my film on for me to start off with after that it was help yourself.

[Burnie_man]

Cheers Tom.

Can anyone give advice on what Edinburgh papers are best for Junior research pre-1945, plus what days edition carries results/tables?

[LLD]

The microfilms are all kept in filing cabinets adjacent to the microfilm readers in the Edinburgh Room and you access them yourself these days.

In there they've got the Evening News, Evening Dispatch, Scotsman and SoS and sundry other Edinburgh newspapers going back a long way.

I've consulted them quite often and the thing you'll find most frustrating is that the holdings of the Green Dispatch and Pink News, which would probably be the best source of info, are very sporadic.

I've not done any research on junior football, but I have researched Ferranti Thistle amateur league and East of Scotland senior results from after WWII and generally found the Dispatch to be better than the news for that stuff.

It has varied a bit, but I tended to find stuff lurking away on Tuesday's editions.

NLS might be worth a try - they hold bound paper volumes of both News and Dispatch. As I recall, the Central Library microfilms came from what the British Library hold.

[Burnie_man]

Thanks, thats helpful info.

Do the NLS actually let you look at the bound volumes? was always under the impression that libraries these days dont let you anywhere near the actual papers for purposes of preservation?

[Burnie_man]

Anyone?

[LLD]

Anyone?

I've consulted actual bound volumes in NLS on many occasions, but not recently.

I'd be surprised if they had been able to transfer everything they've got onto microfilm.

[Burnie_man]

Cheers LLD. I'll start at the Central Library and hopefully plug the gaps via the likes of the Evening News/Evening Dispatch. If I am still missing what I need, I'll head for the NLS.

[LLD]

I should have mentioned it previously, but I purchased a bound volume containing all of the 1928 Dispatch 'Green' sports editions not so long ago.

Let me know if there's anything from that year you need and I'll have a look.

[Burnie_man]

Thats' appreciated LLD.

Not much I need from 1928 except the Roseberry Charity Cup Final Result, which may have been between Portobello Thistle and Dunbar United, and played either in May/June, or early the next season ie August.

Also, if you can find any final league Midlothian Junior League tables it would be appreciated, I know the Championship decider was held over to August, suggesting that the final matches were played around early June.