The MENAdoc – Digital Collections was founded by the Middle East and North Africa Special Area Collection (Sondersammelgebiet 6,23) at the Universitaets- und Landesbibliothek Sachsen-Anhalt in Halle (ULB Halle). In addition to digitized materials, MENAdoc hosts a publication server for (re)publishing of academic publications related to Middle East, Islamic, and North African studies.

Providing access to bibliographic databases, and full text electronic publications, MENALIB is accessible through the  Middle East Virtual Library MENALIB comprising the following collections:

• Middle East and North Africa Special Area Collection – Digital
• Islamkundliche Untersuchungen Digital
• MENAlib Digital Publications
• Turkish Studies Library: The Jacob M. Landau Collection
• Inhouse-Digitization
• Journals of the Deutsche Morgenländische Gesellschaft

Additionally to providing access to a number of bibliographic databases, one of the main objectives of MENALIB is integrating new electronic fulltext resources into MENALIB’s fulltext repository MENAdoc, which comprises, apart from periodicals, a constantly growing number of individual digital publications related to Middle East and Islamic Studies. Last, MENALIB aims to inform researchers and students on upcoming conferences, workshops etc., as well as projects and Open Access titles.

The Early Arabic Printed Books from the British Library digital collections is now available to McGill users!

This full-text searchable digital library of early printed books in Arabic is divided in three subject modules:

• module 1 entitled Religion and Law focuses on The Qu’ran, traditions (Hadith), tafsir, theology, commentaries on religious texts, religious teaching and practice, biographies of religious figures; law, fiqh and statutes, fatwas and rulings
• module 2 entitled Sciences, History and Geography offers resources on Natural history, medicine, physiology, other science, classical sciences, philosophy, logic, politics, ethics, mathematics, arithmetic, geometry, mechanics, astrology, chemistry; history, early caliphs and conquests, modern history, genealogy, biographies; geography and travel, regional geography, and topography
• module 3 entitled Periodicals, Literature. Grammar, Language, Catalogues and General Works covers Periodicals, folktales, pre-Islamic literature (Antar, Bani Hilal, Imru’l qays), Islamic poetry and prose (al-Burdah), poetry and prose (maqamat), Kalilah wa-dimnah, Luqman, proverbs and sayings, Thousand and one nights, later literature, poetry and prose, general literature; language and lexicography, dictionaries, grammar, syntax, rhetoric, ‘ilm al-bayan, catalogues, manuscript catalogues, etc.

This unique historical collection includes books published over a period of 400 years (1475-1899) and aims to “exemplify the long exchange of ideas and learning between Europe and the Arabic-speaking world”.

The ISL has acquired the Oxford language dictionaries online. Arabic : Arabic-English. This dictionary, akin to an online version of the great Hans Wehr dictionary of modern Arabic has a total of 330, 000 words and more than 70, 000 examples of sentences.

A comprehensive dictionary that also offers grammar tips, it will surely be of great benefit to learners of Arabic.

The Oxford English-Arabic dictionary is accessible here as well as via the Islamic Studies and Middle East Studies Subject Guide.

Hi friends! The ISL has recently acquired The Oxford encyclopedia of philosophy, science, and technology in Islam. One of few resources of its kind, “this work includes complete coverage of Islamic philosophy, sciences, and technologies from the classical through contemporary period. Containing scholarly overviews of the thinkers, movements, instruments, theories, institutions, processes, events, and historical developments related to Islamic classical history and the contemporary quest for knowledge, this encyclopaedia provides scholars and advanced students with in-depth surveys on the most important issues in the study of these topics, serving as the authoritative reference work on this important area of research.” (Ibrahim Kalin, 2014). With over 250 entries, this should be a helpful reference source for “Libraries in the Ottoman Empire and Turkey,” “Surgery and Surgical Sciences,” or the Ismaili philosopher of the Fatimid Empire, “Ḥamīd al-Dīn Aḥmad ibn ʿAbdallāh Abu’l-Ḥasan al-Kirmānī.”

Access “The Oxford encyclopedia of philosophy, science, and technology in Islam.” It is also included in the Islamic and Middle East studies Subject Guide.

Launched in February 2012, Al-Monitor features reporting from and analysis on Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey by prominent journalists and experts from the Middle East. Al-Monitor uncovers trends while covering the news. To do so, it established partnerships with two dozen regional media, including al-Ayyam, al-Hayat, al-Masri al-youm, al-Nahar, Maariv, Milliyet, etc…

If you subscribe you will receive a daily brief summarizing events in the Middle East directly in your inbox. Check it out!