Located on the first floor of Timespan, the Library Lounge is a serene and comfortable space for reading, research, and relaxation. It’s an ideal place to escape and explore the archives, photograph collections, and our extensive lending library.
The lounge is open during Timespan hours with two series of events Climate Justice Reading Group, and Talking Objects every Thursday from 2 to 3 pm. This series of events is a holistic climate justice programme that brings people together to foster community, impact, strength and resilience.
Climate Justice Reading Group
Join this relaxed space to read, listen and chat about writings that help us understand climate justice from different perspectives.
Calendar of Events 2025
17th April – Remote Islands and Climate Refugees: join us for a virtual tour of the world’s remote islands with selected readings from Judith Schalansky’s Pocket Atlas of Remote Islandsto help us understand colonisation and the implications of climate refugees
1st May – Salt in My Wounds: working as a herring gutter was challenging, and accidents were commonplace in the curing yards. This session examines the archival evidence regarding the gutters’ struggle for health care provision and workers’ rights.
15th May: Seagrass and Oysters: Restoration Forth was launched in 2022 and is working with local communities to restore seagrass and oyster habitats to the Firth of Forth.
29th May – Women Writing for Climate Justice: the exploration of Indigenous knowledge and the exploitation of nature are among the topics examined by women writers who address the climate crisis and offer new perspectives.
Talking Objects: Shared Memories & Stories
Exploring Timespan’s collections, this series will lead participants to share stories and memories stimulated by objects and artefacts preserved in our archive and museum. Spanning from everyday life and work, the development of the village, to the changing climate and environment of the surrounding areas.
Calendar of events
24th April – Changing Landscapes: old maps are valuable resources for studying changes in land use over time, including agricultural practices, industrialisation, and deforestation. In this session, we will use maps to trace land use changes in Kildonan and Loth.
8th May – Waves, Wind, and Clouds: forecasting the weather in Kildonan and Loth over the last 250 years and tracing climate change through a selection of archival images of snowstorms, floods, and heatwaves.
22nd May – Working Claes’: in Scottish history, working clothes were practical and functional made of durable fabrics like hemp, linen, cotton, and wool, designed to withstand the rigors of manual labor and the elements. In this session, we will look at a selection of clothing from the Timespan collection and learn about the Scottish textile trade to the colonies.
5th June – Songs of Protests: music has long served as a powerful tool for protest and social commentary for addressing social issues. Join us for an exploration of the area’s music and songs that gave a collective voice to a generation to inspire change.