One of the essential requirements for graduate research is access to adequate library resources and research materials. The Islamic Studies Library (ISL), has grown from a modest department collection to one of the most important in the field, containing over 110,000 volumes. The ISL is a research library, intended to be of primary use to post-graduate students and faculty, with a reference section at its centre.
The ISL's collection can be divided into three major categories: printed, manuscript and audio-visual materials. All three categories consist of materials in European and Islamic languages: English, French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Italian, Russian, on the one hand, and Arabic, Persian, Turkish (Ottoman and modern), Urdu and Indonesian on the other. The collection is primarily a reflection of the academic interests of the Institute, and teaching and research in Qur'anic Exegesis, Tradition, Jurisprudence, Philosophy, Theology, Sufism, Shi'ite Thought, History and Modern Development in the Muslim world, as well as instruction in the various Islamic languages.
One of the unique features of the ISL is that virtually all Islamic research materials are housed in one building. (However, our collection of rare books and manuscripts has recently moved to a special climate-controlled room in McLennan library.) Students and faculty have access to internet-based research, and library study space is provided. With an aggressive acquisition policy, the ISL is able to maintain the high standards required for graduate research.