| Last updated | 10th September 2021 |
| Name of library | SOAS (University of London) |
| Address | 10 Thornhaugh Street, Russell Square, London WC1H 0XG |
| Telephone | 020 7898 4163 |
| Fax | |
| libenquiry@soas.ac.uk | |
| Website | http:/www.soas.ac.uk/library |
| Alternative names | School of Oriental and African Studies |
| Contact & Job Title | Contact relevant regional Subject Librarian or Subject Librarian for Arts & Humanities: https://www.soas.ac.uk/library/contact/subject-and-regional-librarians/ |
| Purpose & main user community of the library | A library of one of the constituent colleges of the University of London. For staff and students, and members of the public with different categories and status. |
| Terms of access | Photo ID required to apply for membership. Membership also available to academic community via SCONUL access scheme. Fees are charged for some categories of membership. Full details on the library’s web pages: https://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/admission/ |
| Opening hours | Please check our web page: https://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/openingtimes/ |
| Disabled access | Ground floor has level access to all areas. There are lifts serving all other floors of the Library. Please note that wheelchair users should contact ReaderServices@soas.ac.uk before visiting and other disabled users can also request assistance via this email address- you can also find the statement for the access to the library building: https://www.soas.ac.uk/equalitydiversity/access-to-buildings/file85517.pdf |
| Lending to other libraries & visitors | Visit this page and see more options on the left hand side: https://www.soas.ac.uk/library/using/admission/ |
| Number of volumes | whole library – 1.2 million (some material stored off-site) |
| Periodicals – Back Issues | 20,000 |
| Current Periodicals | 1,519 |
| Other materials | DVDs & videos: 7,300, CDs: 2,900, Microforms : 120,000 |
| Volumes added per year | 10,500 |
| Coverage | The religions and philosophies of Asia, the Middle East and Africa. Books and manuscripts, including translations, of a range of sacred texts. Also general and comparative religious studies, theologies and philosophies |
| Special Collections | SOAS library holds archives and papers documenting the activities of major British missionary societies, and of individual missionaries, active in Asia, Africa and the Pacific. See Archives & Special Collections: https://www.soas.ac.uk/library/archives/ |
| Manuscripts | SOAS library holds a range of manuscripts relating to the religions of Asia and the Middle East |
| Research resource | Major national collections on Hinduism; Sikhism; Buddhism; Jainism; Zoroastrianism; Islam; Judaism; Eastern Christianity; Confucianism; Shinto; Taoism; Shamanism; the traditional faiths of Africa, Australia and the Pacific; and the new religious movements of our own time. Comparative religion and philosophy. Missionary archives. |
| Catalogue Type | Online. Some Library material is still represented only on the digital version of the old card catalogue (https://cardcat.lis.soas.ac.uk/) |
| URL of catalogue | https://library.soas.ac.uk/ |
| Other facilities | Photocopying, networked printers; WiFi; walk-in users have access to most of the Library’s e-resources onsite (e-journals, databases, some e-books) |
| Full Time Staff | 35 (liable to change) |
| Part Time Staff | |
| Voluntary Staff | |
| Changes in next five years affecting the above | The last restructure of Library staff roles, in 2020, saw significant changes, with plans and strategies focusing on financial sustainability |
| Anything else about the library |