Edinburgh Central Library has been providing access to the world’s knowledge for over 100 years and has a huge range of resources to meet every leisure, information and learning need. Located close to the Royal Mile in the heart of the Old Town, the Central Library houses more than 850,000 items to borrow and browse through, including books to suit all ages and tastes, a free information and enquiry service, free Internet, E-mail and PC services, free study space, newspapers, magazines and journals, free access to the latest electronic information resources, CDs, DVDs and audio books, guided tours, visits, talks and events, and community meeting spaces.

The Central Lending Library offers a wide range of books for information, pleasure and knowledge covering all fields apart from those in the subject departments. Services include a fiction collection, material in some European and ethnic languages, language courses, sub-titled videos, especially for the deaf/hard of hearing, and OPACs (online public access catalogue).

The Central Children's Library offers story books for all ages, board books for babies, picture books in lots of languages, information books for homework, books on CD and tape, computers with access to the Internet, and toys and games. Varous special events are organised, especially during the school holidays.

The Edinburgh Room holds the most comprehensive collection of published material on Edinburgh past and present. Its collection includes over 100,000 books, maps, prints, slides, old parish registers, census returns and newspaper cuttings relating to the history, topography and social life of the City of Edinburgh. The Edinburgh Library specialises in information about the City of Edinburgh, including places that were once independent communities, including Balerno, Colinton, Corstophine, Cramond, Currie, Dalmeny, Duddingston, Kirkliston, Leith, Liberton, Portobello, and South Queensferry. The Edinburgh Room is for reference only; all items except slides are only for use in the library. Those wishing to borrow books on Edinburgh subjects should use the Edinburgh lending section in the Scottish Department (see below). Staff will gladly show users the various catalogues and indexes which are the keys to finding information in the Edinburgh Room. A large proportion of its material has to be fetched by library staff, so it may take a few minutes. For some rare items users may be asked for identification or need to make an appointment in advance.

The Scottish Library holds a wide range of information about Scotland which can be looked at in the library, as well as a large collection of books, maps and videos to borrow. Resources include press articles on a wide range of Scottish topics, either from the cuttings collection or on CD-ROM; magazines and journals about Scottish law, business, politics and literature; a map borrowing service; information to assist those tracing their family tree or finding out about clans and tartans; videos for loan on all sorts of Scottish subjects (no blockbuster movies though!); old prints, photographs and maps of Scotland; vital statistics for projects, essays or reports; information on Scottish food and recipe books to borrow; Gaelic language books and learning materials; information for business - especially economic information; and a wide range of research materials for literature, history, law and many other subjects. The Scottish Library is part of the Scottish Parliament Partner Library Network and can provide information about the Parliament and its work. It also collects documentation issued by the Parliament, eg Acts, Bills and the Official Report.

The Fine Art Library contains the most extensive public collection of printed material on art and design in Scotland. Subjects covered include art history, architecture and town planning, sculpture, graphics, painting, prints and printmaking, industrial and folk art, the decorative arts and photography. Resources available include the Artists and Architects Index, which offers a listing of Scottish artists and architects mainly from the 18th to the early 20th centuries; a collection of finely-printed, limited edition artists' books, mainly produced by mass-production methods ie 'multiples', emphasis is on 20th-century artists' books from the 1970s to date; and an up-to-date collection of prospectuses from UK universities and colleges offering courses in art and design. Quick Reference resources such as dictionaries, encyclopaedias and directories are available for use in the library. Collections of rare items include architecture copy books and 19th-century illustrated children's books, consultation is by special arrangement. There is a collection of approximately 26,000 35mm slides covering art, architecture and design available for loan to library members. The Fine Art library also holds approximately 450 different art journals and periodicals in stock, some with extensive back runs. There is also a collection of about 300 videos, each of which may be borrowed for a three-week period in the same way as books, and a smaller but growing number of DVDs which may be borrowed for one week, for a charge of £1.20 - subjects covered reflect those of the book collection and range from practical topics such as drawing, watercolour painting and pottery to profiles of artists and programmes delivered by leading art historians. There is a VCR/DVD player for use in the library. Exhibition space is available within the Fine Art Library, on application, to art groups, schools and individual artists.

The Music Library contains the largest collection of publicly-accessible material on music and dance in Scotland. It is also one of the largest music libraries in the UK. It aims to stock as wide a range of materials as possible covering all types, and aspects, of music and dance. The Music Library staff have matching expertise and can help users find what they want. Although the Music Library is one of the departments in the main Central Library, it is not in the main building but in the next building walking away from the Royal Mile. Most of the items are available on the shelves in the Music Library, but there is a large collection of books, CDs, DVDs and scores held behind the scenes - users should ask staff to consult one of these items. For those searching the catalogue at home and finding the item they want, it is best to contact the library before a visit. This will ensure staff have time to locate the item and have it ready. The library is currently only accessible down a flight of stairs. However, items can be taken to the main building of the Central Library for consultation, or sent to one of our community libraries. Many of the community libraries also have collections of audio material.

The Learning Centre contains 16 computers, all offering free access to the Connect Service, which includes Internet, web-based E-mail and MS Office applications. It is possible to print from them all but there is a charge for this (20p for b/w, 30p for colour). Users can either just turn up and get the next available PC or book for later that day. The Learning Centre can be booked by community groups.

The Reference Library houses a large collection of books, magazines, maps, atlases, microform and electronic material covering nearly every subject under the sun. Those whose interest is Fine Art, Music, Edinburgh or Scotland should contact the relevant department – but everything else you is covered by the Reference Library. The Reference Library offers a place to study, work, read, E-mail or ponder the mysteries of the universe in an environment designed for peaceful contemplation.

The Resource Centre for People with Special Needs has excellent facilities for study, computing and using library materials. There are fully trained staff to assist users with facilities and equipment and to answer any questions. There is specialised equipment for disabled people and users can study in a quiet and accessible environment. Books and other materials can be brought from parts of the library that have limited access. The Resource Centre offers free access to the Internet as well as word processing, Excel, Powerpoint and Access software. It also provides screen magnification and speech output software. There is also a variety of equipment which will read aloud documents, books etc. Information can be produced in large print, Braille, audio tape and CD-ROM. The CCTV magnifier can enlarge pictures and text by up to 60 times. Those who want to guarantee the use of special equipment or one-to-one staff support should book in advance by calling 44 (0) 131 242 8135. The Resource Centre is fully accessible for wheelchair users.

The Central Library also offers tours and community visits.