The majority of books held by the Bodleian Libraries, in both physical and electronic formats, can be searched via SOLO. On this page you will find recommended books, guidance on how to search for and access print and ebooks, and libraries in the University that might be relevant for your studies and research.
Use the tabs above to explore the key texts and libraries for students of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Access to collections and borrowing privileges are subject to conditions; please check individual library websites for further information.
For those wishing to learn more about searching for physical collections in Oxford, we recommend the following:
Below you will find a sample of key texts for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. The links will take you through to SOLO where you can find out how to access the books.
Browsing the library's print collections can help you find relevant resources as the books are shelved in subject order, so you'll find related books shelved together.
Collections for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies can be found on the ground floor of the library classified under Library of Congress shelfmarks and an in-house classification scheme. There is a separate specialist Eastern Christianity Collection (including Georgian and Armenian material) that is shelved separately in the basement under the ECL prefix.
Most printed books on the Middle Eastern region in European and Middle Eastern languages are now catalogued on SOLO but there are still some titles, particularly in Middle Eastern languages, that are accessible only through the library's card catalogue housed at the Nizami Ganjavi Library.
The majority of the Bodleian Library material related to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies is stored offsite and can be called-up to any Bodleian Libraries' reading room for consultation. Most of this material is currently confined.
A number of other libraries may be of relevance to those studying Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
Other libraries with collections for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies are the History Faculty Library, the Social Science Library, the Philosophy and Theology Faculties Library and the Bodleian Law Library.
Ebooks are digital versions of written works. Broadly speaking they come in two forms: they are either 'born digital' or are digital reproductions of printed books. See the tabs above for details of different ebook resources relevant to those studying Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
Many ebooks have enhanced functionality, such as connectivity with reference management software, the ability to annotate and accessibility features.
Members of Oxford University can use ebooks that the Bodleian Libraries have purchased for free. Search for them on SOLO. They can be read on a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, e-reader or mobile phone; you just need your Oxford Single Sign On to access them. Individually purchased ebooks are all searchable on SOLO, but not all purchased ebook collections are, so it is important to visit the websites of ebook collections too. Look at the 'ebook collections' tab above.
Note, some ebooks have restrictive access and usage terms, for example they can only be read by one person at a time.
Some books are acquired via 'electronic Legal Deposit'. These must be read on a library desktop computer in one of the Bodleian Libraries. Further information on how to identify and access electronic Legal Deposit items on SOLO is at the link below.
The links below are provided for those wishing to learn more about ebooks.
Below you will find key texts available as ebooks for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the ebooks if you are not on the University network.
The Oxford Handbook of Arab Novelistic Traditions by 
Sufism : an introduction to the mystical tradition of Islam by The following is a list of ebook collections subscribed to by the Bodleian Libraries. Many of these interdisciplinary ebook collections will include content relevant to Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies. Not all ebook collections are available on SOLO, so it is important to visit ebook collection websites to expand your search. You can browse and search across all ebooks on the provider's website and encounter titles of interest you may not have otherwise found.
The ebook collections have been selected by the Bodleian Libraries and you are able to access them for free because of institutional subscriptions to the content. You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the collections if you are not on the University network.
A number of eresources, including ebook collections, are freely available online and listed below.
Some of these resources are listed on SOLO but not all, so it is important to visit the websites to expand your search. You do not need your Oxford Single Sign On to access them. These are different to the ebooks purchased by the Bodleian Libraries for which you need your Single Sign On for access.
You will find study skills resources compiled by Bodleian Libraries staff available on Oxford Reading List Online (ORLO).
You will need your Oxford Single Sign On credentials to access the list.
A selection of electronic dictionaries, thesauri and encyclopedias useful to those studying Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.
You will need your Oxford Single Sign On to access the collections if you are not on the University network.
If the Bodleian Libraries don't have the print or ebook you are looking for, you can make a recommendation by completing the form below (Oxford Single-Sign On required).
If the Bodleian Libraries don't have the book you are looking for, we may be able to source it through Oxford's inter-library request service.
There are a number of reasons why the Bodleian Libraries may be unable to provide electronic access to a resource. The ebooks guide explains some of these reasons:
