Helen Kanitkar Departmental Library

The Helen Kanitkar Departmental Library is a social study space, where undergraduate, postgraduate, and research students study together and share knowledge and ideas. 

The library contains a large number of items, mostly copies of popular anthropological texts used on undergraduate and postgraduate modules, as well as copies of successful dissertations from previous years for consultation. It also serves as the department's Postgraduate Research Student study centre, making it an important space for writing and research, as well as for informal meeting and exchange of ideas.  

There is also an element of pastoral care unique to the Department of Anthropology and Sociology; students actively support each other, whether it’s help on referencing or advice on essay writing and other study skills.  

The departmental library is named after Dr Helen Kanitkar who was a longstanding lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology at SOAS and passed away in 2011.

The library is located in Room 579 of the Main Building. 

Students are welcome to use the library as a quiet place to read and gather for small study groups. Materials are only for use on site, and a strict honour code is an essential part of keeping the library's holdings working well for all students. 

Volunteering

The Library is staffed by a student librarian and volunteers, supervised by a member of staff, and relies on donations of funds, time and materials for its upkeep. Do think about volunteering an hour or two of your time each week to the department library! 

The Student Librarian for 2022/23 is Ellen Price. Staff supervisor is Professor Marloes Janson. 

For more information and to sign up as a volunteer, please contact

• Ellen Price (672494@soas.ac.uk), Student librarian
• Professor Marloes Janson (mj19@soas.ac.uk), Staff supervisor