The Scottish Parliament was opened by the Queen

The exhibits on display include works on Scottish history and culture, political biographies, books which he reviewed, gifts from friends, family items and antiquarian material.

Photographs, party political material, newspaper cuttings, menus and events programmes also feature.

The exhibits include a football programme for the 1999 England v Scotland European Championship qualifying match at Wembley, funeral cards from the requiem services of Harold Wilson and John Smith, a honorary degree from Glasgow University and a campaigning T-shirt for the 1978 Garscadden by-election.

A spokeswoman for the library said: "Donald Dewar was clearly a hoarder and there is an interesting eclectic feel to this first display which concentrates on four of the main themes within the collection within the collection: Donald Dewar the man, Donald Dewar the politician, Donald Dewar the reader/reviewer and Donald Dewar the collector."

Sold at auction

The exhibition will run at the National Library from January 16 to February 28 and admission is free.

In August last year antiques belonging to Mr Dewar fetched four times their expected price when they were sold at auction.

Six remaining lots from his estate were sold for �16,235.

They had been expected to fetch between �3,350 and �4,650 in total.

Mr Dewar's children, Iain and Marion, offered his collection of books and memorabilia to the Scottish Parliament after his death.

The collection will be the main feature of a reading room dedicated to the late First Minister being created within Queensberry House, at the heart of the new Holyrood complex.