Starting Your Research in the Ancient Near East, Semitics and Judaica Collection in the Library
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How do I find books and journals?
Search the SOAS Library catalogue . This will find print and electronic books and print journals. Widen your search to include other research libraries in the UK and Ireland by using Copac .
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How do I find journal articles?
If you know the article you are looking for search the Library catalogue and/or eJournal and eBook Finder for the title of the journal .
- If you want to find what articles have been written on a certain subject then start with EBSCO Discovery searching tool and then move on to more subject-specific databases (use the pull down menus).
- For regional bibliographies / indexes, please consult the appropriate regional subject guide.
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How do I find multimedia resources?
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How do I find newspapers?
- World-wide newspapers 1996- (including UK) on Access World News
- UK Newspapers on Lexis Library
- Early Hebrew Newspapers Project The site is in Hebrew and requires the free image viewer viewONE to be downloaded in order for the texts to be read.
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SOAS Research Online
SOAS Research Online - Open access e-print repository of academic publications (articles, book chapters, theses etc.) by SOAS staff and students.
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What if SOAS Library does not hold what I need?
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Try other libraries.
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For Ancient Near East, Semitics & Judaica, the following libraries are recommended
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Bodleian Library (University of Oxford)
The Hebraica collections comprise 60,000 printed volumes and 3000 manuscripts -
British Library
The U.K’s national Library also contains 70,000 printed volumes in Hebrew and 3000 Hebrew manuscripts
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Brotherton Library (Leeds University)
The Special Collections house approximately 2500 items of Hebraica and Judaica -
Cambridge University Library
The Hebraica collections comprise 50,000 printed books in Hebrew and 1000 manuscripts -
Durham University Library
The Judaica and Hebraica collections consist of about 4,000 items (including 1000 Hebrew manuscripts) -
Hebraica Libraries Group
Established for librarians and specialists working in the field of Hebraica, but also open to other scholars and researchers interested in the Hebrew language and culture, particularly of the book. -
Jewish Music Institute (SOAS)
Books, sheet music and audios recordings on the whole spectrum of Jewish music from medieval times to the 21st century. Appointment necessary if you are not a SOAS student or member of staff -
John Rylands University Library (University of Manchester)
13,000 items of Hebraica and Judaica, including some manuscripts -
Leo Baeck College Library
Large collection of Hebraica and Judaica including sound recordings, focusing on eastern European Jewry and rabbinics
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Bodleian Library (University of Oxford)
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For Ancient Near East, Semitics & Judaica, the following libraries are recommended
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Leopold Muller Memorial Library (Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies)
Significant Hebraica/Judaica collections of bio-bibliography and literary-historical studies (print and microform) -
London School of Jewish Studies
50,000 items of Judaica and Hebraica, including pamphlet literature -
Parkes Institute for the Study of Jewish / non-Jewish Relations (University of Southampton)
Over 25,000 items on all aspects of anti-Semitism and relations between Jewish and non-Jewish communities, and well as Jewish and Palestinian history, and Zionism -
University College London (UCL)
Specialist collections include ancient history, Jewish and Hebrew studies -
Wiener Library (for the study of the Holocaust and Genocide)
Founded in 1933, the collections focus on Jewish cultural life in Europe before the Holocaust, and all aspects of the Holocaust during the Nazi era, and its aftermath. The Library also looks at other genocides in world history, such as those against the Armenians and in Rwanda.
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Leopold Muller Memorial Library (Oxford Centre for Hebrew and Jewish Studies)
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Archival collections
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Cambridge University Genizah Collections
Access to some 140,000 digitised fragments from the famous Cairo Genizah, as well as 1000 complete Hebrew codices
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Lambeth Palace Library
Contains archival material and manuscripts on Judaism and in Hebrew, and documents relating to the Anglican Church’s relations with the Jewish community -
London Metropolitan Archives
Documents and archives relating to the Jewish diaspora in London. Includes a special collection relating specifically to the Portuguese Jewish community in London.
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National Archives
Search for documents and archives relating to Jewish communities in the U.K. from medieval times to the 20th century
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Cambridge University Genizah Collections
- Also consult the regional subject guides
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Try e-book collections
- Cambridge Books Online [SOAS staff & students only when off-site]
- ebrary [SOAS staff & students only]
- Dawsonera [SOAS staff & students only]
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Use the Inter-Library loans service to request books from other Libraries
- See http://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/services/interlib/ for further details
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Try other libraries.
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Research Networks
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British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology (BANEA)
Aims to bring together professionals and non-professionals with an interest in the archaeology, languages and history of the ancient Near East -
British Association of Jewish Studies
Founded to “advance the teaching and research in Jewish culture and history” within Higher Education establishments in the United Kingdom -
European Association of Israel Studies (EAIS)
Based at SOAS, this is politically neutral international and scholarly association devoted to the academic study of Israel. -
Hebraica Libraries Group
Established for librarians and specialists working in the field of Hebraica, but also open to other scholars and researchers interested in the Hebrew language and culture, particularly of the book. -
London Centre for the Ancient Near East
Based at SOAS, this is an independent association of university and museum academics, independent scholars and others with interests in the ancient Near East. -
Old Assyrian Texts Project (OATP)
Based at the University of Copenhagen, this collaborative project and research network aims to produce new editions of Old Assyrian archives and specialized studies on the Old Assyrian period. Includes the Old Assyrian Prosopography Database
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British Association for Near Eastern Archaeology (BANEA)
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I’d like further training. Who do I ask?
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Check the Library Events pages for upcoming training sessions.
- Contact the Subject Librarian for Ancient Near East, Semitics & Judaica
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