The Collection predominantly relates to the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland and their often troubled relationship, though there are some titles on subjects of professional interest, such as elocution, and of wider concern, covering history and politics. Uniquely, it has a very extensive collection of Scottish Communion Offices.
Keywords: Scottish Episcopal Church; Church of Scotland; sermons; liturgies.
Strengths: The Collection is very strong in theological material, mostly of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and is particularly rich in material relating to the Scottish Episcopal Church and the Church of Scotland. The Church of England is also well represented by many sermons, liturgies, Offices and Books of Common Prayer. Roman Catholic material includes liturgies, missals and, notably, a sixteenth-century Missale Romanum printed in Paris in 1565. There is a wealth of local material, theological as well as non-theological. For example, there are plenty of printed sermons (mainly dating from the nineteenth to twentieth centuries) which were preached in local parishes. Several of the volumes were previously in the libraries of notable Scotsmen, whose autographs they bear.
Languages:English, Greek, French, Dutch, Gaelic, Spanish.
Identifier: DL
Physical characteristics: c. 2500 books and 3000 pamphlets
Accumulation date range: The range of dates which the collection was accumulated
Contents date range: 1520-1851
Associated Publications: Scottish Episcopal Church, Catalogue of the Aberdeen Diocesan Library (Aberdeen: n.pub., 1821). Scottish Episcopal Church, Catalogue of the Aberdeen Diocesan Library (Aberdeen: Bennett, 1871). Scottish Episcopal Church, Aberdeen Diocesan Library: Catalogue, 1889 (Aberdeen: Aberdeen University Press, 1889). 'Books from the "Aberdeen Diocesan Library"', Aberdeen Journal Notes and Queries, 3 (1910), 37-38. Jennifer Kinnear, 'The Diocesan Library', Northern Scotland 19 (1999), 115-18. AU MS 602: Correspondence relating to the transfer of the Diocesan Library to the University of Aberdeen. Available on Library OPAC or WebPAC
Accrual Status: Closed
Custodial history/provenance: This Collection was deposited in the University Library by the Diocese of Aberdeen and Orkney in 1926. Initial agreement had been reached in 1911, between the Library and the Diocesan Librarian, F. C. Eeles, a key figure in implementing the donation, who enhanced the Collection by adding many of his own books. In addition, much material was donated by J. B. Craven, Archdeacon of Orkney (DD 1908, Aberdeen), who is also strongly connected with the Bibliotheck of Kirkwall, which Collection is also housed within the Special Collections Centre.
Access Control: Closed access - please request. Non-borrowable.