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Institute affiliated scholars also have full library privileges at the SOAS Library, which has a book stock of over 850,000 volumes, approximately 4,500 periodicals and an extensive collection of archives and manuscripts. The SOAS Library is one of the world's most important academic libraries for the study of Africa, Asia and the Middle East, which attracts scholars from all over the world to conduct research. The Library houses over 1.2 million volumes at the SOAS campus at Russell Square in central London, together with significant archival holdings, special collections and a growing network of electronic resources.

The mission of the SOAS Library is to be at the centre of the School's mission and strategic thinking, to be a leading research library with high-profile collections, to be customer-focused and service-led, anticipating and responding to user needs, to cultivate a positive proactive attitude, to foster an environment receptive to change and able to take risks, to develop a creative learning organisation which places an emphasis on staff development and empowers staff to take ownership of their contribution to the workplace, and to play a significant role in resource-sharing and other collaborative activities regionally, nationally and internationally.

The mission of the Library is also to provide high quality information services and resources to reflect and support the School's standing as a leading international centre of excellence for the research, learning and teaching of Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

The aims of the Library are:

• to provide services to support the School?s teaching, learning and research
• to develop internationally significant collections to support scholarship now and in the future
• to provide a high quality learning environment
• to improve access to information and services
• to teach information skills
• to support independent learning

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