Enhancing and preserving middle eastern and islamic collections
We have made a commitment, with the help of the community to establish the Universal Heritage Endowment for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies, the first endowment in this area of study at the UCLA Library.
Enhancing and Preserving the Collections
The UCLA Library is consistently ranked among the top 10 academic research libraries in North America. Our Library holds almost 13 million volumes in 414 languages and dialects, and touches every discipline and area of inquiry at this world-class university and beyond.
Our collections include more than 500,000 volumes in multiple languages in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and Islamic studies. The UCLA Library also holds the second-largest collection in North America of Islamicate manuscripts, totaling at least 8,000 manuscripts in Arabic, Persian, and Ottoman Turkish. They include rare and beautiful illuminated manuscripts, significant medical and scientific tracts, and works of historical importance.
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These resources support UCLA undergraduate and graduate students focusing on Middle East and North Africa studies as well as scholars engaged in interdisciplinary research across a range of fields.