An academic library has always been an important and central component of the Oriental Institute. For the first half of the institute’s history (1919–69), the Oriental Institute library served within the University of Chicago’s larger...
moreAn academic library has always been an important and central component of the Oriental Institute. For the first half of the institute’s history (1919–69), the Oriental Institute library served within the University of Chicago’s larger library system. After consolidation of that library system in 1970, the Research Archives was founded to fulfill the research needs of institute faculty, staff, and students. It remains one of the premiere libraries for cutting edge scholarly work in the study of the
ancient Middle East. The collection of 65,000 print volumes is now supplemented by vast digital resources, cataloged and made publicly accessible through the Research Archives online catalog as part of the Integrated Database Project. The library will continue to be a conduit for
groundbreaking results, a steward of lasting contribution, and a valued
community space where ideas are shared and research is shaped.
