SOAS Digital Collections for South East Asian Studies
SOAS Library has excellent collections of both archival and print materials on South East Asia. From the early days as the School of Oriental Studies, SOAS Library has collected material relating to South East Asia in the arts and humanities and, increasingly over time, in the social sciences. Its archival and special collections on South East Asia include manuscripts, fieldwork notes, photographs, official correspondences and rare books.
Past and present SOAS-based scholars have conducted extensive researches on the regions and these include PhD students who have successfully completed their theses on the islands. SOAS Digital Library is aiming to be a platform for such research data, theses, and other forms of information resources available in the digital or electronic format. Our focus on digitizing archival materials for the areas of South East Asian studies include:
- Rare newspapers published in South East Asia: Quarterly Paper (Burma News),
- South East Asian manuscripts, especially Burmese, Indonesian, Khmer, Malay, Shan and Thai manuscripts
- Rare books on South East Asia
- Rare photos of South East Asia
- Special Collections: Burma Campaign Memorial Library, Marsden Collection, and Powell Collection
- SOAS e-theses on South East Asia, with full text in pdf format available for free download. The list will be updated regularly as the collection grows; for the theses not available in full text can be consulted in the Archive's Special Collections Reading Room of SOAS Library.
SOAS Library will continue to have its archival materials digitized and added to its digital collections as they become available digitally. We open opportunities for our library users and welcome well-wishers to participate in developing SOAS Digital Library's collections. For more information, contact Mr Erich Kesse, SOAS Digital Library Officer - Telephone: 020 7898 4798 or Email: ek13@soas.ac.uk.