Helen Kanitkar Departmental Library
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About
About
Welcome to the Helen Kanitkar Departmental Library, the dedicated study and research space for students of Social Anthropology at SOAS.
The library brings together undergraduate, postgraduate, and research students in an environment designed to support focused work, collaborative learning, and the exchange of ideas.
As the Department’s study centre, the library serves both as a quiet space for reading and writing and as a hub for academic community life. In addition to individual study and small group work, it regularly hosts departmental events, informal socials, and occasional exhibitions, making it a space where scholarship and community come together.
The library is named in memory of Dr Helen Kanitkar, a long-standing lecturer in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology, who passed away in 2011.
Using the library
The library is located in Room 579 of the Main Building.
Our collection includes a wide range of core anthropological texts used across undergraduate and postgraduate modules, as well as a selection of successful past dissertations available for consultation.
All materials are for on-site use only, and the library operates on a strict honour code to ensure that resources remain accessible to all.
An online catalogue of holdings is currently in development.
Volunteering
The library is run collaboratively by a Student Librarian and a team of volunteers, with guidance from a staff supervisor. It thrives thanks to the time and commitment that volunteers contribute to keeping the space welcoming, organised, and supportive for all.
Volunteering at the Helen Kanitkar Library is an excellent way to develop transferable skills and to contribute to the life of the Department. In return, volunteers receive training in basic library skills, with opportunities to gain experience in more advanced tasks such as cataloguing and labelling.
For 2025/26, the Student Librarian is Dina Varpahovsky, and the staff supervisor is Saad Quasem.
If you are interested in volunteering, please contact Dina Varpahovsky: 713367@soas.ac.uk.
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