Library

The OCIS Library is currently situated on the second and third floors of the Centre's building in George Street, while awaiting the completion of the new Centre building on Marston Road. The move to purpose-built new premises will increase the Library's size fourfold and enable wider access to a much more extensive collection.

Books

The Library holds a broad range of materials on a comprehensive spread of topics relating to Islam and the Islamic world. At present the majority are in print format, but the Library has also acquired digitised versions of the Bodleian's various collections of Arabic manuscripts. As well as its collection of monographs, the Library maintains a wide variety of scholarly journals, magazines and newspapers for consultation. The primary subject areas covered are: classical Islamic sciences (especially Tafsir, Hadith, Fiqh, Kalam and Sufism); contemporary Islamic studies, Muslims in the West, and modern Muslim thinkers. Several languages are represented, including Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Malay, Turkish, English and other European languages.

Access

The Centre's collections can be located via SOLO and OLIS, the Oxford University online public access catalogue, and the location code is ISL. The Library is reference-only, but while borrowing is not allowed, the Centre does have photocopying facilities. The Library has computer terminals for OLIS use, which are also equipped with a version of Word configured to allow text processing in Arabic. One of these machines also provides a range of searchable Arabic text databases. Laptops can be used in the Library.

The Library is open to all holders of Bodleian cards, which can be obtained from the Bodleian Admissions Office and must be shown at Reception. Researchers from elsewhere will need a letter of recommendation from a Fellow of the Centre or from their institution.

The Library is open between the hours of 9.00 and 17.00 Monday-Friday (except for lunch, between 13.00 and 14.00), and closes for bank holidays, the Christmas and New Year period, Eid ul Fitr and Eid ul Adha.

Contact telephone: 01865 278743. E-mail: library[at]oxcis.ac.uk

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