Brief subject guides to the key Oriental-language special collections at the Bodleian Library, Oxford
Special collections in the Bodleian Library
The Bodleian Library's special collections are divided into two main groups: Western Manuscripts & Rare Books, Maps and Music and Oriental Manuscripts & Rare Books.
Oxford University humanities theses also form a part of the Bodleian Library's special collections: you can find catalogued theses online via SOLO (Search Oxford Libraries Online).
In addition, Special Collections includes the University Archives, Oxford University's own administrative records.
Oriental manuscripts & rare books
Oriental manuscripts and rare books comprise material from the Middle East and Asia, including books, manuscripts and even paintings in languages such as Arabic, Hebrew, Chinese, Sanskrit and Armenian.
The collection guides
Please use the links below for summaries and highlights of the Library's greatest collections of Oriental manuscripts:
For more complete guides to the Bodleian's special collections, please see the Catalogues & Finding Aids pages, or consult: The Bodleian Library : a subject guide to the collections, edited by Gregory Walker, Mary Clapinson and Lesley Forbes (Oxford: Bodleian Library, 2004)
