LIBRARY OPENING HOURS: Mon-Thurs 9am-1pm; Friday 9.30am-1.30pm; afternoons by appointment only.
PLEASE NOTE: THE LIBRARY WILL BE CLOSED FROM FRIDAY 29TH MARCH-FRIDAY 5TH APRIL 2013, REOPENING ON MONDAY 8TH APRIL (mornings only).
The Trust’s greatest asset is its library, a unique independent resource for research in the fields of the cultural heritage of ancient India, Iran, Central Asia, and the history of the Indo-Iranian languages. The Library comprises mainly the personal collections of Professor Sir Harold Bailey (Indo-Iranian studies and philology, Buddhist works in various languages, and Armenian and Caucasian studies); and of Professor Joan van Lohuizen (art and archaeology of South and South East Asia). It also includes smaller collections of Professor Mary Boyce (Zoroastrian studies), Professor Charles Bawden (Mongolian studies), Ralph Pinder-Wilson (Islamic Art and Architecture and Afghanistan), Professor Gregory Possehl and Drs B. & F.R. Allchin (South Asian Archaeology) as well as recent acquisitions in the same fields.
In addition to printed resources, the library also includes the photographic collections of Penelope Chetwode (Betjeman), J. C. Harle, and J. van Lohuizen. These collections, together with those of and Drs. Raymond and Bridget Allchin, are in the process of being digitised, catalogued and listed, with the intention of becoming fully available to researchers for consultation.
The photographic archive of the late Professor Howard Wilson is now fully digitised and available to search online.
Further library resources include a small collection of oriental manuscripts, Sir Harold Bailey’s working papers and correspondence, Sir Harold and Professor R. E. Emmerick’s photographic collections of Central and South Asian manuscripts, and an extensive set of individually catalogued offprints containing over 20,000 separate items. Additionally, the Trust holds a collection of Professor Van Lohuizen’s working papers and other archival materials.
To search the library catalogue online, go to the Cambridge University Library catalogue, click “Search”, then “Limits” and choose the location “Ancient India & Iran Trust”. For all other inquiries contact the Librarian, tel. 01223-702095, e-mail library@indiran.org.
The library is open Mon-Thurs 9am-1pm, Friday 9.30am-3pm, afternoons by appointment only. As well as scholars and students, members of the public are welcome. If you wish to visit the library for the first time, please telephone either the Administrator on 01223 356841, or the Librarian (01223 702095) for an appointment. You will be asked to bring identification and a letter of introduction, to complete an application form and to sign the visitors book on each visit.
A new list of duplicates for sale is now available. Many belonged previously to Ralph Pinder-Wilson and will be of special interest to Iranian and Indian art historians. A copy can be downloaded from the link below. Please contact the librarian for further information.
