The Specialized Library and the Document Center of the Iranology Foundation

This Library was established in 2001 with a view to promoting fundamental studies in the field of Iranology, introducing the historical, literary, cultural, and scientific background of Iran and Iranians, creating an appropriate place for conducting research, and providing library services to learned people and researchers.

The Central Library is home to an organized collection of about 170,000 specialized Iranology documents in the following sections, namely: the Documents, Manuscripts, and Lithographed Books Section, the Circulation Section, the Reference Section, and the Periodicals Section.

The Library contains 108,347 Persian and English books under 79,702 titles, about 7,000 titles of non-book documents (including reports, proposals, theses, and dissertations), 21,000 titles of audiovisual materials (including posters, maps, postcards, CDs, photos, slides, and films), and about 40,000 issues of periodicals. Despite its short lifetime, this Library is considered to be one of the richest specialized-research centers for Iranology studies.

Restoration Unit and Document Center

Presently, the Document Center contains 60 precious manuscripts, 100 typographed books, 360 lithographed books, and more than 110 old and repaired documents, scrolls, and maps. The Restoration Center for Documents and Manuscripts will begin its activities in the near future.

Classification and Cataloging Section

In order to provide quick access to the Library’s resources through a comprehensive system, the Classification and Cataloging Section is responsible for listing, classifying, indexing, and arranging all the sources of the Library by employing bibliographical methods and tools and new technologies based on the current national library standards. The other duties of this Section include the following:

• - Technical preparation of the resources, such as attaching barcode tags onto them and binding them
• - Final preparation of the books and other resources before sending them to the Library storerooms and Circulation and Reference sections
• - Maintenance and updating the Library Bank and other data sources such as indices and the Treasury
• - Contacting IT resource persons and software technicians in order to update them on ongoing library affairs

Collection Making Section

The classification of the resources into different collections in the Central Library includes preparing lists and bibliographies, choosing, ordering, purchasing, and donating books, and exchanging print and non-print library materials with other libraries through the following stages:

• - Identifying the needs of professors, university students, and researchers for research-related and academic data
• - Gathering data on the required books and other resources through identifying well-known publishers and bookstores and the representatives and dealers of international publishing companies
• - Searching in websites which introduce books, the portal of the National Library, and other periodicals that introduce and review newly - published books and developing thematic bibliographies
• - Ordering the materials requested by researchers, university students, and faculty members
• - Choosing resources following an accurate and thorough process of inspecting publishers, and agencies, lists and cross-checking all the selected titles in the Library Bank in order to avoid the purchase of already available books
• - Ordering Persian and English books and other resources from book fairs, agents and dealers of English books, book distribution companies, and bookstores and purchasing them

Reference Section

With a collection of 20,000 resources (6500 titles), the Reference Section operates by using the open-shelf system. The arrangement of the sources in the shelves is based on their subjects, and members can freely access them. The materials in the Reference Section can only be used in the Library and are not lent out to the members.

From among the activities of this Section, we can refer to the following:

• - Lending reference materials to the members to be used in the Library study hall.
• - Responding to the questions of library users in terms of the appropriate resources for their intended purpose or research topic.
• - Helping users with locating the resources and reference materials required for their intended research activities
• - Helping researchers with computer searches of their topics
• - Teaching and guiding users regarding the use of reference materials
• - Performing reference-related services via telephone and e-mail

Periodicals Section

This Section contains a collection of about 40,000 old and recent periodicals under 3,000 titles in Persian and English, on topics related to Iran and Iranology in the fields of history, culture, sociology, and politics. Housing a number of rare periodicals, this Section is considered to be one of the richest archives in the field of Iranology. The arrangement of the items in this section is alphabetical, and it operates using the closed shelf system. Users can receive their requested resources from the section librarian by presenting a request form. Some of the services provided in this Section include the following:

• - Lending periodicals to be used in the study hall
• - Providing subscription services (extending the membership period or the book return time, performing follow-up activities in relation to the subscriptions issued, and finalizing subscriptions) in relation to periodicals
• - Copying the items sent from the Circulation, Research, and Administrative sections
• - Guiding library users in finding articles in the periodicals
• - Helping users with using the websites related to the periodicals, such as magiran.com, and www.irannamaye.ir

Audi-Visual Section

The storage of non-book materials is on the fourth floor of the Library building. The documents in this collection are not lent out to users but can be used by the members in the study hall. The existing documents in this Section include 3323 CD titles, 5410 video cassette titles, 1002 audio cassette titles, 1577 digital picture titles, 2436 slide titles, 1242 picture titles, 2493 poster titles, 2256 postcard titles, 450 brochure titles, 885 map titles, and some negatives and microfilms.

Circulation Section

The Circulation Section of the Central Library of the Iranology Foundation is responsible for responding to the demands of library users and providing the following services:

• - Lending Persian and English books
• - Managing membership affairs and settling the accounts of temporary and permanent library members
• - Receiving members’ book title suggestions for purchase and submitting them to the related section
• - Guiding library users in using the resources and the Library Data Bank
• - Keeping track of members’ late returns
• - Guiding library users in using the introduced indexing websites (such as magiran.com) and the Bank of Iranology

Future Programs

• - Paving the way for establishing a digital library
• - Reviving, expanding, and optimizing the Documents and Manuscripts Section
• - Increasing interaction and cooperation with other libraries through concluding inter-library agreements in order to establish cultural and scientific collaboration in joint scientific research projects

Membership Conditions in the Library and Document Center of Iranology Foundation

Library users can refer to the circulation bylaw of the Library for the required information about the conditions of membership and borrowing books.

Working Hours of the Library

• Saturday- Monday: 8.00 – 17.15
• Tuesday- Wednesday: 8.00 – 16.15

Contact Information of the Library and Document Center of the Iranology Foundation

• Address:Address: Iranology Foundation,
  • Iranshenasi Street,
  • South Sheikh Baha’i Street,
  • Tehran
• Phone: 0098-21-88066146-8
• Fax: 0098-21-88608928
• Email: library@iranology.ir
• Website: : iranology.ir