In this guide you will find in-depth information about the Library collections which will support you in your studies or research of Africa as well as links to freely available web-sites which are recommended by your Subject Librarian.
Use the links on the left of the page to find information by category and on the right for related information.
If you would like more information, either on the collections or information within this guide please contact the Subject Librarian for Africa.
SOAS students and staff may attend Library training sessions or arrange an individual training session with the Subject Librarian. For more details, contact your Subject Librarian or see Training & Events page.
The following databases are being trialled and evaluated for a future subscription. The trial for both databases lasts until 30th April 2025. If you have any feedback on them please email dw3@soas.ac.uk. Thank you.
A project to digitize, disseminate, and discover African cultural materials. Its aim is to enable Africa easily to control, digitize, and disseminate its archival riches—those within Africa and items residing internationally. Africa Commons helps to preserve African content and enable African scholars easily to find and access expressions of their heritage in Western collections. The collections includes:
Africa History and Culture - Hundreds of thousands of digital artifacts, curated from thousands of collections worldwide
West African Magazines - Digital collection of rare, historically significant magazines from West Africa, digitized for the first time.
East African Newspapers, Magazines, and Films - An exclusive collection of full-run magazines, newspapers, and films from Hilary Ng'weno, the legendary Kenyan journalist.
Southern African Films and Documentaries - Hundreds of films to enrich courses in Black studies, cinema, history, culture, and women’s studies.
Black South African Magazines - More than 50,000 pages of extremely rare, historically significant magazines, written and targeted specifically for Black African audiences—digitized and online for the first time.
For off-campus access please use this link
The world's most comprehensive policy database, with over 17 million reports from 41,000 think tanks, agencies, governments, and cities. The database includes:
For off-campus access please use this link
The Africa collection is situated on Level D (classmarks U – Y). It includes publications on and from the whole continent of Africa with the exception of Egypt which is covered by the Middle East & Central Asia Section. The collection covers the fields of languages and cultures, arts and humanities, and law and social sciences.
The African Language Collection (classmarks XIII – Y) covers hundreds of languages from the whole continent. Some languages are held in other regional collections within SOAS Library:
The African Reference Collection is on Level D at stacks 61-66. This collection holds many reference works including encyclopaedias, bibliographies, and handbooks.
The Library has an extensive collection of journals in both print and electronic format. These are available via the Library catalogue.
The Archives and Special Collections at SOAS Library is located on Level F and holds important collections of archives, manuscripts and other primary source materials relating to Africa. Details can be found at: Archives and Special Collections: Africa
Email: special.collections@soas.ac.uk Tel: 0207 898 4180
