There has been a change in atmosphere in Scotland since the opening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999. This article describes some aspects of the country’s cultural background and the route taken to get there, as well as current trends in the Scottish library world.

The Scottish Visual Arts Group is a relatively young co-operative of art librarians. However there is a significant history to the group, a substantial list of achievements and a whole new future just about to commence.

The Scottish Cultural Resources Network is a nationwide collaboration of institutions from many curatorial domains, which has built a massive and sustainable multimedia digital library including tens of thousands of resources for the study and appreciation of art. This paper traces the history and governance of SCRAN, with examples of how it manages the creation of digital content. It goes on to describe issues of intellectual property rights and organisational sustainability and discusses what future such a service may have. Finally, it introduces a number of SCRAN-based digital libraries, including Resources for Learning in Scotland, the AMICO Library™, and the British History Library, as well as portal services such as Netwide Search.

The University of St Andrews Library has extensive photographic collections, ranging from a fine collection of very early photography (stemming from St Andrews’ important position in the development of photography in Scotland), to modern documentary and topographical images. In order to increase access to these collections, and to assist in their preservation, the University is in the process of digitising the images, and providing them on-line, with a detailed searchable database index. In recent years, this programme has been undertaken in collaboration with the Universities of Dundee and Aberdeen, in the RSLP-funded Visual evidence project, which aims to provide a single point of access to all three collections. Much has been achieved in recent years using this type of temporary, project-oriented funding, but a period of consolidated, predictable funding is now needed in order to safeguard and further progress the advances made so far.

The Drawn evidence project, 1999-2001, selected a sample of Scottish architectural drawings and contextual associated items from collections situated throughout Scotland to illustrate the country’s architectural development. High quality digitised images were produced and placed on a searchable web site. Funded by the Research Support Libraries Programme, the project has provided a rich research resource for academics.

The National Galleries of Scotland is entering an exciting period of development: phase one of its Playfair Project is due for completion in summer 2003, with the opening of the remodelled Royal Scottish Academy building adjacent to the National Gallery and the exhibition Monet: the Seine & the sea. As well as providing increased gallery, education and visitor facilities, this project also has information technology and access implications for the Archives, Libraries and Reference Section as well as for the commercial Picture Library.

Glasgow’s Mitchell Library is one of the largest public reference libraries in Europe. Recently, the City Council’s Cultural and Leisure Services staff have implemented an innovative approach to providing art information for the general public in the ‘Library @ GoMA – the learning gallery’, which opened in 2002 within the Gallery of Modern Art. In addition to the support the library offers to the Gallery’s activities, an ambitious programme of digitisation is under way to enable access to more of the Mitchell’s treasures.

Dundee Contemporary Arts was created through a partnership between Dundee City Council, Dundee Contemporary Arts Ltd and the University of Dundee. Its unique building gives the University of Dundee’s Visual Research Centre scope for multi-disciplinary research, events and exhibitions, an archive and an artist books collection. But Gaelic culture, environmental issues and a library – just what, exactly, is the VRC all about?