Peter Liversidge | The National Library of Scotland

The Rules of the Library

The National Library of Scotland

George IV Bridge

Edinburgh

EH1 1EW

 

5 February - 19 December 2026

Free entry

Monday - Thursday, 10am-7pm Friday - Saturday, 10am-5pm

 

Peter Liversidge's The Rules of the Library (2025) is currently on show at the National Library's reading rooms in Edinburgh. 

 

The work presents a set of nineteen rules which have been collected and recontextualised by Liversidge from a wide range of sources, including the Library's own extensive collections.

 

Presented as a single list, the work reframes these instructions, prompting visitors to consider how rules shape our encounters with knowledge and public space. Through this playful yet thoughtful juxtaposition, Liversidge explores the Library's balance between open access and the responsibility to preserve archives for future generations. 

 

The artwork is accompanied by reading materials and a project archive for visitors to explore in the Library's historic General Reading Room.

 

For more information, please visit the link below. 

February 7, 2026