beginning of scanned pamphlet.
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------

                              C U R R E N T
                              ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
            S C O T T I S H   P R I N T E D   E P H E M E R A
            ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                      National Library of Scotland

Ephemeral printed material produced in Scotland has been acquired on a
small scale by the National Library of Scotland for some years. Most of it
has been received incidentally along with other more extensive
publications, but some items have been collected in an informal way.
Recognising the importance of printed ephemera in providing a detailed
record of contemporary life, the National Library now wishes to extend its
range of these materials, and actively to pursue the acquisition of current
Scottish printed ephemera. Although fugitive, and not intended to be long-
lasting, ephemeral items can nevertheless become of significant historical
value in time. For this reason the Library considers it to be important to
acquire as much of this material as possible while it is available for
collection, since much of it will not survive beyond the immediate present.
Although the scale on which printed ephemera is now produced in Scotland
makes it unlikely that comprehensive coverage can be achieved,
representative examples of different categories of printed ephemera from
every part of Scotland will provide researchers in the future with a
particular kind of detail of 20th-century Scottish life.

The Library defines 'printed ephemera' as any printed or 'near-print'
material not published in standard book or pamphlet form. Nothing is
considered too ephemeral for the collection; items as diverse as product
advertising, handouts issued by groups and associations, entertainment
notices, personal documents, bus tickets, compliment slips, food packaging,
bingo cards, and greeting cards are all being collected. Ephemeral items
associated with events, whether of a cultural or political nature, are
particularly welcome. To keep the collection within manageable proportions,
only material printed or published in Scotland, or of Scottish association,
is in the main being retained. However, 'Scottish association' is
interpreted broadly, and may be taken to include items originating from
other parts of Britain but distributed widely in Scotland, where this
connection can be established.

Access to printed material in the National Library is provided through the
General Catalogue of Printed Books, and certain categories of ephemeral
material such as General Election addresses are entered there. Other
categories such as theatre programmes have their own separate indexes.
Because of the bulk of material involved, the printed ephemera that the
Library now seeks to acquire will be boxed in chronological sequence under
a number of broad subject headings, relating mainly to the type of
organisation producing the material. In due course, access for users will
be provided by an index of individual items. However, it is not expected
that current use of the ephemera collection will be extensive, and it is
assumed that its main value will be for future researchers retrospectively
studying late 20th-century Scottish life.

In attempting to ensure as wide coverage as possible the Library is always
grateful to receive materials to add to the collection. Any addition to the
informal network of contacts in different parts of Scotland, willing to
send ephemeral material to the Library on a regular basis, is also welcome.
If you would like further details about the ephemera collection, or if you
wish to send material, you are invited to contact Mr Robert Betteridge,
Curator in charge of Ephemera, Statutory Deposit and Donations Unit,
National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EW
(telephone: 031-226 4531, ext. 230).
  ----------------------------------------------------------------------
 end of scanned pamphlet.