Library Resources

UNC is developing its Middle East collections in collaboration with Duke University with UNC having the major responsibility for developing the collection of Persian studies materials. The Center is thankful to have significant local support for enhancing the Persian collection, including the Pars Endowment for Persian Study, the Jarrahi Family Library Fund for Persian Studies, and the Ferdowsi Tusi Millennium Endowment.

UNC Libraries Catalog | Duke Libraries Catalog

Part of the UNC University Libraries site, the Middle East Studies Guide provides links to collections of films, music, art, books and journals, and maps and data for Middle East studies. It also includes information about library support for scholarly communication and digital repository services, as well as funding opportunities. The Library encourages all faculty to use the guide for research, and to link it to Sakai course pages for instruction.

Kitab Talk Series

A collaboration between the UNC Libraries and Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies, ‘Kitab Talk’ is a series of events connecting students, faculty, and staff with library resources and updates.

Kitab Talk Series and Materials:

• April 1, 2020: “Digital Scholarship & E-Resources during the COVID19 Closures” with Rustin Zarkar, UNC Librarian for Middle East & Islamic Studies
• August 26, 2020: “The Arab American Newspapers Project” with Akram Khater, Khayrallah Center for Lebanese Diaspora Studies
• September 29, 2020: “Building the Digital Library of the Middle East” with Jacob Hill, Stanford Libraries
• February 4, 2021: “Hazine: A Guide to Researching the Middle East and Beyond” with Hazine co-editors
• March 2, 2021: “Akkasah, NYU Abu Dhabi: Photographic Heritage of the MENA Region” with Jasmine Soliman, Photo Archivist
• April 6, 2021: “Revisiting the British Library’s Turkish and Turkic Collections” with Dr. Michael Erdman, British Library
• September 14, 2021: “The Arabic Collections Online Project” with NYU Libraries
• October 20, 2021: “Transcending Communal Divisions to Build the 1947 Partition Archive” with Guneeta Singh Bhalla, Founder, 1947 Partition Archive
• November 16, 2021: “Grooves and Waves: Phonograph Records as Historical Sources in the Digital Age” with Dr. Christopher Silver, curator of Gharamophone.com

The Arab World Research Source is a great resource on the UNC Libraries E-Research Tools website: Arab World Research Source provides access to hundreds of academic journals, magazines, trade publications, conference papers and industry profiles that are published in or pertain specifically to the Arab World. Click here for information and instructions.