The bequest of 276 books by Clement Litill (or Little) is designating as the founding point of Edinburgh University Library, three years before the college (as it was initially) opened its doors. The title pages of the books were all stamped at the time with Litill's arms and the text, "I am geven to Edinburgh and Kirk of God be Mister Clement Litill thare to remane". The books cover both Catholic and Protestant theology and humanist scholarship. There are outstanding individual items such as the unqiue copy of the Sarum breviary printed at Rouen in 1496 (Dd.1.24) and the first book printed at St. Andrews (the Catechisme of Archbishop John Hamilton, 1552 (Dd.2.33). Many of the books have fascinating provenances, having been owned by Scottish bishops such as Henry Sinclair or William Scheves, and have early manuscript annotations.

A manuscript catalogue of the books was drawn up in the 1580s and is printed in the Miscellany of the Maitland Club, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1834), pp 285-301. An annotated offprint of this is available at Dd.3.36.

A catalogue with full bibliographical details is in Charles P. Finlayson, Clement Litill and his Library; the Origins of Edinburgh University Library (Edinburgh Bibliographical Society and the Friends of Edinburgh University Library, 1980). 243 of the original volumes are still in the library. All appear in the Library's pre-1985 main catalogue and many are now catalogued online. The collection was reconstructed in the early 19th century by David Laing and all the books now have shelfmarks beginning Dd.