The fruits of three years' work by the Research Support Library Programme (RSLP) go on show today, Tuesday 18 June. The RSLP's projects have been putting important research collections in Scotland on-line and in the process they have revealed some hidden gems. The work opens many valuable collections of information and images for researchers and academics.

An all-day event at the University of Glasgow's Library will reveal the results of these projects, giving academics and information professionals an opportunity to try out the new on-line resources. Project workers will also be on hand to demonstrate the resources and answer questions.

Some examples of the projects include:

MAPS 16th & 17th Maps of Scotland which have previously not been able to be seen in such detail due to the fragility of the original and their rarity entailed a visit to a major research library - National Library of Scotland and University libraries. Such as a manuscript map of 1552 showing the Scottish/English border.

ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS Access to drawings of all types of Scottish buildings, from the 18th to 20th centuries, from castles to hospitals, jute workers' housing to civic buildings, schools to factories. Architects include the well known such as Lorimer, Mackintosh, Playfair, Gillespie, Kidd & Coia, and the lesser known.

SCIENCE HISTORY Casting new light of the development of Science and the enlightment in Scotland such as giving access to the lecture notes of John Robison, a graduate of Glasgow University who became Professor of Natural Philosophy at Edinburgh University in 1774. He was the most direct link between the 17th-century physics of Isaac Newton and those Victorian revolutionaries, the Scottish physicists Lord Kelvin and James Clerk Maxwell. He has been credited with establishing a particularly Scottish approach to natural philosophy and was teaching the most advanced science of his day.

SOCIAL HISTORY Access to miscellaneous pamphlets which include works on slavery, temperance, revivals, Mormonism and religious education as well as the soporific effects of lettuce.

PHOTOGRAPHY Access to the rich George Washington Wilson photographic and the Valentine's of Dundee photographic collections.

Further information is available at http://www.newsdesk.gla.ac.uk/campus/campusstories.asp?id=779

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Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

Note to editors: There will be an opportunity to view the colelctions on-line and speak to t he experts from 12-4 pm Tuesday 18 June 2002 in the Wolfson Technology Research Centre, University of Glasgow Library; Level 3. If you are planning to attend please contact the Press Office first on 0141 330 3535 Please contact Lesley Richmond, University Archivist, on arrival at the event.

Further information is available at http://www.newsdesk.gla.ac.uk/campus/campusstories.asp?id=779

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First published: 18 June 2002