EAST Lothian’s flagship library is at the heart of a unique project to uncover the history of reading in Scotland from 1750 to 1830.

The John Gray Centre in Haddington is one of 15 partner libraries from across the country working alongside experts at the University of Stirling.

The research, which represents the first attempt to systematically analyse and compare borrowers’ registers across Scotland, is being led by English studies lecturer Dr Katie Halsey to establish important details about which books readers actually engaged with during the 80-year period.

Dr Halsey, who is based at Stirling’s faculty of arts and humanities, said: “We are bringing together the largest number of historic borrowing records ever attempted, and our eventual database will contain at least 150,000 records of borrowing.

“By analysing existing records from 15 historic libraries across Scotland, this cutting-edge research will contradict established narratives about which books are important to our national history and explore what was actually being read.

“From lead miners in Dumfries and Galloway to clergymen in Dunblane and advocates in Edinburgh, we’ll explore the hidden histories of the book use of people across the country during this time period and create a valuable new resource to reveal participation in literate culture.”

The study, Books and Borrowing 1750-1830: An Analysis of Scottish Borrowers’ Registers, has received £1,014,683 from the Arts & Humanities Research Council, with the project’s final results expected in May 2023.

Represented in the records of the 15 partner libraries are farmers and farm workers, gamekeepers, shepherds, blacksmiths, lay preachers, vagabonds, poachers, sailors, maidservants and schoolchildren, as well as members of the professional and leisured classes.

The 15 partner libraries include: the university libraries of Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrew’s; the National Library of Scotland; the Advocates Library; the Library of Innerpeffray; Kirkwall Library; Westerkirk Miners’ Library; and the John Gray Centre Library.