Other libraries
For UK and Ireland: see Middle East sources. Compiled and edited by Ian Richard Netton. London: Curzon, 1998
Particularly important U.K. Collections
- British Library – a reference collection - one of the Worlds treasure-houses for Islamic manuscripts, and large and important collections of printed books – Archives of India Office Collection important for Gulf and Iran and Afghanistan
- Bodleian Library, Oxford. The total size of their Islamic collections amounts to:
Manuscripts: Arabic 2350; Persian 2530; Turkish 480; Printed books: Arabic 16,000; Persian 6500; Turkish 17,500 (includes material in Western languages). - Cambridge University Library (Arabic, Persian and Turkish printed books & Near Eastern Oriental Manuscripts.)
- Exeter University Library.The total stock in Arabic, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies is around 64,000 volumes, of which 30,000 are held in the Old Library in the Arabic Collection and 30,000 in the Arab World Documentation Unit (located in the Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies).
- Manchester University Library. The Near Eastern Collection contains an estimated 57,000 volumes.
- Middle East Centre (St. Antony's College, Oxford). The library was established in 1958 building a collection on Modern Middle Eastern Studies with a few hundred donated books. Since then it has developed to a substantial collection of 40,000 (approx.) materials including books, periodicals, microfilms, and pamphlets/imprints.
- Middle Eastern Studies at the Orchard Learning Resources Centre (University of Birmingham). The Collection comprises material on religions of the Middle Eastern region, Language and Literature, Economics and Law; Politics and government, incl. International Relations; Geographical and area studies of all countries of the Middle East, including Iran, and Arab North Africa. Estimated no. of items in the collection: 20,000.
See also their valuable “Mingana Collection of Middle Eastern Manuscripts” which includes the largest collection of Christian Arabic manuscripts in Europe after the Vatican and the Bibliotheque Nationale. - Durham University Library (Arabic Language and Literature Collections). See in particular their Sudan Archives collection.
- Leeds University Library (Semitic collection - Arabic)
- Edinburgh University Library (General Middle Eastern Collection)
- Near and Middle East collection at the Royal Asiatic Society. The RAS library holds material on the history, culture and languages of Asia. The focus is historical rather than contemporary. The collection includes c.10,000 books and c.630 manuscripts (100 Arabic, 475 Persian, 55 Turkish). Non-members are welcome to use the library by prior appointment. The library does not yet have an online catalogue.
- Al-Furqan Islamic Heritage Foundation. Although primarily concerned with manuscripts and manuscript catalogues the “World survey of Islamic manuscripts” edited by Geoffrey Roper offers an excellent survey of the Libraries throughout the world of importance for Islamic studies.
MAPPING ASIA
A very good overview and description of collections held by libraries in NME / North Africa and Central Asia studies areas. It also provides very useful links to other websites.
