New fear unlocked. 😱 The life of an Archivist is wild. One minute you're merrily scanning through a folder of old photographs, the next you've uncovered something like this and it feels you're starring in the pre-title sequence of a 70s horror movie.

ou can help shape the future of libraries in Scotland! The Scottish Library & Information Council are asking people to take this short survey, either online or in person at your local library. It only takes a few minutes! Scan the QR code below or go to: surveymonkey.com/r/SLICsurvey...

Today we're wishing a Happy 156th Birthday to #Orkney author and historian J. Storer Clouston - born on this day in 1870. Probably best known as the author of the 1917 novel The Spy in Black but he wrote many other novels, plays and history books. (P.G. Wodehouse was a BIG fan)

If you've been joining in with our Audio Waves Book Club then you've still got time to send us your review of Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney. Audio Waves is our newest Book Club where we are listening to Audiobooks instead of reading printed books. 🎧

Exciting news at Orkney Library & Archive! We've just launched our brand new SEED LIBRARY! 🌱 The Seed Library is another way we're trying to help people save money and reduce waste by sharing their spare flower and vegetable seeds with others in the community. 🌱

There is a cat in the car park. We repeat. THERE IS A CAT IN THE CAR PARK.

Today is #WorldBeeDay so we made a bee out of books and now we're buzzing. 🐝

Many thanks to Poet Laureate Simon Armitage for coming to visit us yesterday as part of his massive 10 year libraries tour, visiting libraries all across the UK. He was joined here by local singers and local poets from the Orkney Voices group. Thanks for a very enjoyable evening. ❤️

It's a calm, overcast day in #Orkney and #BookyMcBookface is away on the ferry across Scapa Flow to the islands of Hoy and Flotta. If you're lucky enough to be there today then go and say hello 👋 📚

Hey look the sun has come back ❤️

Happy Friday everyone. Our Daphne Du Maurier post yesterday reminded us about some of our favourite #Bookface photos from back when #BookFaceFriday was a thing.

'Last night I dreamt I went to Orkney Library again.' Happy Birthday to Daphne Du Maurier, born 119 years ago (on the 13th May) in 1907. 🎂 Remembering that time we made a Daphne Du Maurier Biography #Bookface in the Orkney Room.

There once was a man it was said, who wore a streetlamp on his head. But he found it too light when he laid down at night and his head wouldn't fit in his bed. #NationalLimerickDay

At Orkney Library we're delighted to be partnering with the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS) on the Book Farmacy - a new pilot initiative which encourages reading in an effort to tackle stress and isolation across Orkney’s farming communities.

Do you want to help shape the future of libraries? Would you like a £10 book voucher? Help to shape a new national website for #ScottishLibraries - share your ideas and feedback, and you’ll receive a £10 book voucher as a thank you. Scan the QR code to find out more.

We have an announcement. The Archive will be CLOSED TOMORROW (Saturday 9th May). Apologies for any inconvenience. It will reopen as normal on Monday at 10am. The Library will be OPEN as normal. We hope this Archive photograph of cows inspecting a motorcycle makes up for any disappointment.

There was a cat in the car park this morning but even though I went pssspssspsss a lot it jumped over the wall and left before I could take a photo. Just keeping you up to date with all the important news of the day.

It's a slightly grey, overcast day in #Orkney but #BookyMcBookface is away north on the ferry to deliver books to the people of Westray. 📚 If you're in Westray today then go and say hello 👋

Happy Star Wars Day everybody! #StarWars as photographs from the #Orkney Archive photographic collection. ⭐️ #MayThe4thBeWithYou #StarWarsDay

Mayday! Mayday! We're CLOSED on Monday! Mayday! Mayday! We're CLOSED on Monday! Don't worry it's not an emergency. We're just CLOSED on Monday for the #MayDay public holiday. Yay! 🎉 Open again as normal on Tuesday.

Happy #MayDay everyone. We've just been up Brinkie's Brae washing our face in the morning dew, in the traditional #Orkney fashion. At least we hope it was dew. *washes off dew*

And #BookyMcBookface has just returned from a beautiful sunny day delivering books on the island of Shapinsay. 🌞❤️ #Orkney

We have an announcement. It's Thursday and it's STILL sunny in #Orkney. Look at that sky! 🌞❤️

It's another beautiful sunny day in #Orkney and we've just added these lovely coloured planters to our flora trail at the front. 🌼🌸 Each planter is decorated with panels covered in flowers drawn by local children from primary schools around Orkney. ❤️🌞 #GreenLibraries #LoveLibraries

This month our #LEGO display cases have been packed full of egg-ceptional LEGO models for our #OrkneyLibraryLego Easter EGG-STRAVAGANZA theme! 🥚🐣🐰 All made by library users using our #Lego collection. Thanks to everyone who made us a model! ❤️ Our next theme is VIDEO GAMES & CHARACTERS! 🕹🎮

It's been a great 2026 season of 'How light is it in #Orkney at 5pm this week.' We started in the darkness of early January and ended in the light of April after the clocks had gone forward. Here's all the weeks put together as we moved from 5pm darkness to 5pm sunshine. 💡

Today is #NationalPenguinDay so we're remembering that time we made a Penguin out of Penguin Books. It's a Penguin Penguin. 🐧

Tonight is #WorldBookNight so join in with the #ReadingHour from 7-8pm. You can read absolutely anything in any format. Here's what some of the Orkney Library & Archive team are reading right now. 👇 What will you be reading this #WorldBookNight? #NationalYearOfReading2026

Must be fonet in the rich man's world

Nice to be back after a brief research trip to study the colourful balls of sunnier climes. 🌞 *starts researching masonry paint*

We have an announcement. WE HAVE CHERRY BLOSSOM! 🌸❤️ Thanks once again to the Orkney Japan Association - our tree is one of 30 cherry trees planted across #Orkney as part of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project. 🌸

It's a cold, breezy Saturday morning in #Orkney and our balls are wet.

'No I said it's National UNICORN Day!' #LoveLibraries #NationalUnicornDay

The days are longer, the weather is better and it's a great time to get out on your bike so we've just extended our Lend & Mend collection to include 3 Cycle Repair Toolkits AND 2 Cycle Repair Stands. Available to borrow for FREE with your Orkney Library card. 🚵‍♂️ #GreenLibraries #LoveLibraries

Please note. This means TODAY. *Rolls between giant metal cogs. Avoids furnace. Quotes Oscar Wilde*

We are CLOSED on Monday 6th April for #EasterMonday. This year the staff are all heading across to Copinsay lighthouse in speedboats for our annual reenactment of The Rock. It's my turn to be Sean Connery. See you all when we've stopped Ed Harris and his men* *next week Happy Easter! 🐣

We have an announcement. OUR CHERRY TREE IS BUDDING! 🌸 Thank you to the Orkney Japan Association - our tree is one of 30 cherry trees planted across #Orkney as part of the Sakura Cherry Tree Project. 🌸❤️🌸

Last month our #LEGO display cases were full of fabulously fictional LEGO models for our #OrkneyLibraryLego WORLD BOOK DAY theme! 📚🦸‍♂️🤖 All made by library users using our #Lego collection. Thank you to everyone who made us a model! ❤️ Our next theme is AN EGG-STRAVAGANZA! 🥚

If you like our FREE eMagazines then you're going to LOVE this. We've just upgraded our ePress access to a top tier package so Orkney Library card holders now get FREE ACCESS to more than 300 newspapers from around the world and almost 500 magazines! orkney.borrowbox.com/epress/featu...

We've just made a display of books by Alan Bennett to celebrate the release of #EnoughSaid - his fourth instalment of diaries and prose, covering the years 2016-2024. Thanks to the @readingagency.bsky.social for the posters, bookmarks and a copy of the book! 👏 Available to borrow NOW! 📚

We're far too busy to post anything for #AprilFoolsDay this year.

Think we've had enough bananas now. Still wondering where all those KitKats came from though.

This didn't disappoint

Well this is quite unbelievable. We started back in early January on a cold, dark night BUT now it's the end of March and it's Monday night and it's 5pm so it's time for EPISODE TWELVE of 'How light is it in #Orkney at 5pm this week?' OMG PEOPLE IT IS THIS LIGHT! 💡❤️🌞

Books on baking banana bread available now 🍌 www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Can't wait for 5 o'clock today. Not to get away from work, but to be astounded by how light it is. And then get home and talk about it some more. Then say it again later. And then keep checking the sky after that. Then when it IS dark talk about how late it is. Can't wait.

It's Saturday but it's also #RespectYourCatDay so if you're ever sitting in front of a cannon with a cat near the firing mechanism then you better make sure you show it some respect. #Caturday A real life Tom & Jerry cartoon from our Photographic Archive.

Reader, I googlied him

Bet you thought we'd forgotten to check how light it was at 5pm this week? Yeah you did! Well it's Thursday night and it's 5pm so it's time for EPISODE ELEVEN of 'How light is it in #Orkney at 5pm this week?' The clocks change on Saturday and right now it's THIS LIGHT 💡

A calm, overcast day delivering books to our Home Library customers in Stenness, Orphir and Stromness. The Hamnavoe is tied up in the harbour between sailings to the mainland.