Historical Collections
The Information Service retains historical collections of Law Reports, Tax Cases, Statutes and textbooks and periodicals relating to accountancy which can be consulted in-house. Also available is a complete set of the ICAS journal 'CA Magazine', formerly 'The Accountants' Magazine', which started in 1897.
A collection of Antiquarian Books on accountancy from 1494 to 1930 is maintained by the Institute but is held on deposit in the National Library of Scotland (NLS) in Edinburgh. The collection includes first and second editions of Luca Pacioli's "Summa de Arithmetica, Geometria Proportione & Proportionalita" from 1494 and 1523 respectively. Access to the collection is permitted in accordance with the rules of the NLS. The Rare Books division can be contacted by telephoning +44 (0)131 623 3899 or by e-mail.
The historical records of the Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen Societies, which together formed the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, are held on deposit in the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) in Edinburgh. Access to these records is permitted in accordance with the rules of the NAS. They can be contacted by telephoning +44 (0)131 535 1334 or by e-mail.
Genealogy
The Information Service can be a helpful resource for those tracing their family history with Scottish accountants, or those that worked at Scottish accountancy firms, in their background.
Of particular interest may be the ICAS journal CA Magazine, formerly The Accountants' Magazine, which started in 1897. The Information Service maintains a complete set of the journal which contains information about individuals in the profession such as date admitted as well as member obituaries.
The Information Service also holds copies of the ICAS Directory of Members from 1896/97 to 2000/2001. This annual publication contains information on where all ICAS members are working each year. The Information Service staff are happy to check these sources on your behalf. Additional material may be contained in the ICAS records held at the National Archives of Scotland (NAS) - see above for details. The Information Service staff can not consult this material on your behalf and a personal visit to NAS is needed. Contact the Information Service Manager to find out about getting access to the collection.