Auld Collection accepted by National Library of Scotland

 Bill Auld, the doyen of Esperanto authors, recently offered his outstanding collection of monographs and periodicals to the National Library of Scotland in Edinburgh. The collection contains many rarities and reflects Bill’s literary career of over 50 years.

After making specialist enquiries, conversing with Bill and paying several visits to Dollar, the National Library accepted the collection. It will soon be transported to Edinburgh where it will receive a preliminary examination. The Collection will not be available for consultation for some time yet because of cataloguing and other tasks which will be necessary.

The National Library regards the acquisition to be of outstanding importance. They hope to keep the Auld Collection live by maintaining periodical runs and acquiring further monographs. It is also hoped that the Collection will be made available on the Internet.

The acceptance of the collection is of the greatest importance for Esperanto studies and will make Edinburgh an Esperanto research centre of international significance.

Bill Auld is to be congratulated for his great generosity. To gift one’s private library is never easy; but Bill has been motivated by what is appropriate for present and future Esperantists. He has also agreed that his extensive correspondence and other archival material will in due course be donated to the National Library of Scotland.

David W. Bisset