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| University of Khartoum Library | |
|---|---|
| مكتبة جامعة الخرطوم | |
 | |
| Location | Khartoum, Sudan |
| Type | Academic library |
| Established | 1902 |
| Branch of | University of Khartoum |
| Branches | 13 + over 40 departmental libraries |
| Collection | |
| Size | Over 400,000 volumes |
| Sudanese publications (since 1966), UN, FAO, WHO | |
| Other information | |
| Website | uofk |
The University of Khartoum Library (Arabic: مكتبة جامعة الخرطوم) is the main library of the University of Khartoum in Khartoum, Sudan. It is the largest library in Sudan and holds legal deposit rights for publications of the United Nations, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the World Health Organization.[1] The library's collection includes books in multiple languages, reference works, encyclopedias, periodicals, maps, theses, microforms, CD-ROMs, and documents from international organizations such as UNESCO and the International Labour Organization.[1]
History
editThe library was established in 1902 as part of Gordon Memorial College.In 1943, the Asquith Commission on Higher Education was formed to study the development of higher education in the British colonies. The commission's 1944 report recommended the establishment of university libraries to meet the needs of students and researchers in the colonies. [2]
The library's initial collection was formed in 1945, with 3,000 books gathered from secondary schools. Shortly thereafter, Sir Douglas Newbold, the Administrative Secretary of the Sudan government, donated his personal library of approximately 3,000 volumes covering Sudan and Africa, after which the library
became known as the Newbold Library.
[3] Between 1945 and 1950, the library received £2,500 from the Rhodes Trust, in addition to a special grant of 6,600 Sudanese pounds from the Government of Sudan. [4]
From 1947 until 1973, the library's collection size roughly doubled every six years. By 1981, the collection had grown eight times larger than at the university's independence in 1956, while the number of periodical subscriptions increased approximately sixfold.
Collection growth
editThe library's collections grew steadily over the decades:[5]
| Year | Volumes | Periodicals |
|---|---|---|
| 1945 | 15,000 | 114 |
| 1957–58 | 61,607 | 1,187 |
| 1963–64 | 125,953 | 4,225 |
| 1981 | 359,690 | 5,140 |
| 1990 | 458,000 | 3,000 |
| 1999 | 403,536 | 3,260 |
The library's collections continued to grow in later decades:
- In 1990: 458,000 volumes and 3,000 periodicals (including 2,540 purchased)
- In 1999: 403,536 volumes and 3,260 periodical titles
- In 2005: the collections increased by 4,701 volumes
- In 2015: the increase was 527 volumes, as a donation from the Ministry of Higher Education. [6]
Special collections
editThe library has received numerous valuable private collections over the years. These include the collection of Mekkawi Suleiman Akrat (621 books), the collection of Professor Saad al-Din Fawzi (donated in 1960), and the collection of Mohamed Salih Al-Shanqiti (donated in 1964, containing about 5,000 rare books on Arab heritage and Sudanese history).The Al-Tijani Al-Mahi Collection, donated in 1972, comprises 3,000 manuscripts, 700 maps, over 1,000 books on Sudan, and approximately 12,000 books in various scientific fields. Many other collections have been donated by Sudanese politicians, scholars, journalists, and poets.Other donated collections include those of the Ministry of Service and Administrative Reform, Mohamed Abdulrahman, Al-Dardiri Mohamed Othman, Mohamed Abdullah Awad, Khalid Adam bin Al-Khayyat, Mohamed Abdul-Jawad, Izz El-Din Al-Mahdi, Ali Al-Mak, Ahmed Mohamed Ali Al-Hakim, Taha Hussein Ahmed Othman Al-Kad, Salah El-Din Al-Malik, Khidr Hamad, Dr. Abbas Ibrahim Mohamed Ali Abu Al-Rish, Gabriel Michel Bitar, Mubarak Zaroug, Hassan Awad Abu Al-Ela, the Comptroller General of the Government of Sudan, Russian Ambassador V.N. Verotun, and the University of Khartoum Alumni Association in Qatar.
Other donated collections include:
- Ministry of Service and Administrative Reform Library – donated 1,000 books in 1972
- Mohamed Abdulrahman Library – donated 110 volumes in 1976
- Al-Dardiri Mohamed Othman Library – donated in 1978; he was a prominent judge and politician in Sudan
- Mohamed Abdullah Awad Library – contains 2,497 books, donated by his wife after his death in 1995; he specialized in the history of Islamic kingdoms in West Africa
- Khalid Adam bin Al-Khayyat Library – contains 1,142 books; he was a prominent teacher and journalist in Sudan
- Mohamed Abdul-Jawad Library – contains 2,791 books; he was a prominent politician and media figure in Sudan
- Izz El-Din Al-Mahdi Library – contains approximately 1,000 books
- Ali Al-Mak Library – contains approximately 2,000 books; he was a professor at the University of Khartoum and authored many literary works
- Ahmed Mohamed Ali Al-Hakim Library – contains over 1,000 books; he was an archaeologist who earned his master's and doctorate from Cambridge University
- Taha Hussein Ahmed Othman Al-Kad Library – contains approximately 700 books
- Salah El-Din Al-Malik Library – contains 1,161 books; he was a scholar of Arabic language and authored many works
- Khidr Hamad Library – contains 1,730 books; he was Minister of Irrigation and Electric Power in Sudan
- Dr. Abbas Ibrahim Mohamed Ali Abu Al-Rish Library – contains 2,028 books
- Gabriel Michel Bitar Library – contains 1,276 books; he was interested in books, culture, architecture, and economics
- Mubarak Zaroug Library – contains 670 volumes; he was one of the early Sudanese politicians and lawyers
- Hassan Awad Abu Al-Ela Library – contains 210 Arabic books; he was a prominent lyric poet in Sudan
- Comptroller General of the Government of Sudan – donated the Boxall Library, containing 1,600 volumes of great scientific value
- Russian Ambassador V.N. Verotun Library – contains 785 volumes
- University of Khartoum Alumni Association in Qatar – the university library received a shipment of scientific books weighing four tons, comprising over 1,950 modern books and references in engineering and other sciences, valued at over $100,000... valued at over $100,000.[7]
Branch libraries
editDue to the geographical distribution of the university's faculties, the University of Khartoum Library has adopted a decentralized structure to meet research needs and serve students. The following libraries are administratively and technically subordinate to the main library:
| Library | Location | Established |
|---|---|---|
| Faculty of Law Library | Central Campus | 1935 |
| Faculty of Engineering Library | Central Campus | 1938 |
| Faculty of Arts Library | Central Campus | 1939 (merged with the main library in 2005) |
| Faculty of Economics Library | Central Campus | 2005 |
| Faculty of Medicine Library | Medical and Health Sciences Campus | 1924 |
| Faculty of Public Health Library | Faculty of Public Health Buildings | |
| Faculty of Nursing Library | Higher Nursing College Buildings | |
| Faculty of Education Library | Education Campus | 1961 |
| Shambat Library | Shambat Campus | 1936 |
| Faculty of Mathematical Sciences Library | Faculty of Mathematical Sciences Buildings | 1995 |
| Audio Library | Central Campus | 2001 |
| Sudan Library | Sudan Library Building | 1961–1962 |
Periodicals section
editThe development of the Periodicals Section at the University of Khartoum Library is closely linked to the development of the library itself, according to the annual reports of the Gordon College Library, the University College of Khartoum Library, and the University of Khartoum Library. The following table shows the growth of periodicals from 1945 to 1994:
| Year | Number of periodicals |
|---|---|
| 1945 | 114 |
| 1947 | 170 |
| 1951 | 416 |
| 1957–1958 | 1,187 |
| 1963–1964 | 4,225 |
| 1981 | 5,140 |
| 1992 | 218 |
| 1992–1993 | 168 |
Transition to electronic periodicals
editAfter the subscription to print periodicals ceased, the Periodicals Section shifted to providing electronic periodicals. The section kept pace with this development and provided a number of periodical databases on the university's electronic library website, including:
- Directory of Open Access Journals
- Scientific Electronic Library Online
- Oxford Open Access Journals
- Open J-Gate Full Text Library
- HINARI database, covering most periodicals in medicine and health sciences, supported by the World Health Organization (WHO)
- AGORA database, covering agricultural science periodicals and related fields, supported by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
Importance of periodicals
editPeriodicals hold a significant place among scientific information sources for researchers, as they provide topics that are rarely available in other forms of information sources, either due to the novelty of those topics or because they are topics of limited interest that do not warrant a dedicated book.[9]
Sudan Library (national role)
editThe Sudan Library is a special section of the university library that serves as the de facto national library of Sudan. Since a legal deposit law was passed in 1966, the library has kept a copy of everything published in Sudan. It also collects works by Sudanese authors published abroad. [10]
The library's catalog works as a national bibliography. [11]The supplements represent the current national bibliography.[12]
Automation
editThe University of Khartoum was one of the first seven Sudanese institutions to introduce computers in 1967, initially for financial affairs and student services [13] The library uses automated information storage and retrieval systems with 12 databases using WINISIS software. The University of Khartoum Information Network linked the main library and all branch libraries in 2003. The library is now migrating its software to Koha within the Sudanese Research and Education Network.[13]
Digital services
editThe library has created Khartoumspace, its institutional digital repository – an online archive for the university's research, including theses and dissertations. In 2018, working with the Association of African Universities, the library hosted a workshop to train librarians from across Africa on building digital repositories.[14]
Architectural heritage
editThe library is inside the historic Gordon Memorial College building, built between 1899 and 1902. This red-brick building is an example of colonial architecture in Sudan.[15]
Training and education role
editThe library plays a significant role in librarian training and education. In collaboration with the Institute of Extra-Mural Studies, it offers courses to train librarians from within Sudan and abroad. The library also supervises advanced diplomas in library science, information management, and documentation.
Library Council
editThe Library Council is the governing body of the library. It is chaired by the university's Vice-Chancellor and includes representatives from various faculties, institutes, and research centers across the university, as well as members from outside the university, with the university librarian serving as its secretary.
Library publications
editThe University of Khartoum Library has issued numerous publications in the fields of Arabic studies, bibliography, guides, and indexes that facilitate access to study sources. Some of these publications include:
- Union List of Periodicals – published in 1969 and updated in 1994.
- Guide to Arabic Periodicals – compiled by Hajar Abdulrahman, covering 611 periodicals written in Arabic across various fields of knowledge.
- Index of Sudanese Studies Sources – published by the university library in 1961, covering 1,114 titles of Sudanese studies in Arabic.
- Arabic Sources for Sudanese Studies – compiled by Lebanese library expert Youssef Asaad Dagher, covering 1,810 titles of Sudanese studies written in Arabic.
- Bibliography of Sudan – published by Abdulrahman Al-Nasri Hamza and Asma Ibrahim Imam, containing 1,893 entries.
- Classified Catalogue of the Sudan Collection – published by the University of Khartoum Library in 1971, considered one of the most important sources of Sudanese bibliography in Arabic and English.
- Library Newsletter – first issue published in 1977–1978, with subsequent issues continuing until 2005.
- Sources of Sudanese Studies in Sudanese Journals and Periodicals – compiled by Qasim Othman Nour, covering 4,828 titles in 38 Sudanese periodicals.
- Rebuilding the University of Khartoum Library and Information Services – a study prepared by Julie Carpenter.
- MacDonald Report – submitted by the Deputy Librarian of Newcastle University, indicating notable progress in implementing the recommendations made by Julie Carpenter.[16]
Damage during the Sudanese conflict (2023–2024)
editSince April 2023, Sudan has been at war between the Sudanese army and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The University of Khartoum campus – including its historic buildings and the library – has been heavily damaged.
According to reports from September 2024, the University of Khartoum Library was completely burned during the fighting. The full extent of the damage to its rare books, manuscripts, and special collections has not yet been fully assessed.[17][18]
The fate of the library's rare Newbold, Al-Tijani Al-Mahi, and Al-Shanqiti collections remains unknown.[17]
See also
editLibrarians
editThe following individuals have served as Chief Librarian (or equivalent) of the University of Khartoum Library:
| Years | Name | Qualifications |
|---|---|---|
| 1948–1961 | Michael Joliffe | B.A (Arts) London, F.L.A |
| 1961–1986 | Prof. Abdulrahman Al-Nasri Hamza | Dip. Arts (Khartoum), M.A (Cambridge), Dip. Librarianship (London) |
| 1986–1992 | Abubakr Al-Siddiq Othman | B.A (Khartoum), Dip. Librarianship (London) |
| 1992–1994 | Prof. Abdelmalik Mohamed Abdelrahman | B.Sc (Physics) Newcastle, PhD (Applied Mathematics) Liverpool |
| 1994–1998 | Prof. Mohamed Nouri Al-Amin | B.Sc (Khartoum), M.A (Swansea), PhD (Oxford) |
| 1998–2000 | Dr. Al-Habr Yousif Nour Al-Daim | B.A (Khartoum), PhD (Quranic Commentary) Edinburgh |
| 2000–2004 | Dr. Al-Tayeb Haj Attia | LLB (Khartoum), Spiegel Diploma (Moscow), P.G Diploma (Syracuse, London), PhD (Sorbonne) |
| 2004–2006 | Prof. Mona Mahjoub Mohamed Ahmed | B.Sc, M.Sc, PhD (Animal Production) Khartoum |
| 2006–2009 | Dr. Hassan Abdullah Al-Mangouri | B.A (Khartoum), M.Sc (Free Berlin), PhD (Economic Geography) Free Berlin |
| 2009–2011 | Dr. Abbas Yousif Al-Tijani | B.Sc (Khartoum), M.Sc (California), PhD (Food Engineering) Michigan State |
| 2011–2017 | Prof. Ahmed Hassan Fahal | MBBS, MS, MD (Khartoum), FRESI, FRCP, FRCS (UK) |
| 2017–2019 | Prof. Hassan Al-Haj Ali | LLB (Khartoum), M.Sc (Missouri), PhD (North Texas) |
| Jun–Oct 2019 | Prof. Ibrahim Ahmed Onour | B.Sc (Khartoum), PhD (Manitoba) |
| 2019–2022 | Prof. Essam El-Din Kamtour Al-Hassan | M.A.Ed, PhD (Education) |
| Apr–Sep 2022 | Prof. Samir Mohamed Ali Hassan Al-Radisi | B.A & Education, M.A (Geography), PhD, M.A (Educational Planning) |
| Sep 2022 | Dr. Mahmoud Ali Ahmed | B.Sc (Statistics), M.Sc (Statistics), PhD (Computer Science) |
| Sep–Dec 2022 | Dr. Bakri Mohamed Al-Hassan | B.Sc, M.Sc, PhD (Agriculture) Khartoum |
| 2022–present | Dr. Hussam El-Din Awadallah Ahmed Al-Qadal | B.A, M.A, PhD (Khartoum) |
External links
edit- The classified catalogue of the Sudan collection (1971) – New York Public Library
- The classified catalogue of the Sudan collection. Supplement (1973) – University of Pennsylvania Libraries
References
edit- 1 2 "Libraries". University of Khartoum. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
- ↑ Report of the Commission on Higher Education in the Colonies (Report). London: His Majesty's Stationery Office. 1944.
- ↑ "History of the University of Khartoum". University of Khartoum. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
- ↑ "University of Khartoum". University of Khartoum Official Website. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
- 1 2 University of Khartoum annual reports (1945–1981) as cited in the Arabic Wikipedia article "مكتبة جامعة الخرطوم"
- ↑ اللامركزية والتنظيم الإداري لجامعة الخرطوم. Khartoum, Sudan: University of Khartoum. 16–18 October 2005. section: نمو المجموعات في العقود اللاحقة.
- ↑ "بقيمة 100 ألف دولار.. مكتبة جامعة الخرطوم تتسلم (1950) كتاباً ومرجعاً". Al-Hadath News (in Arabic). 2022-03-25. Retrieved 2026-05-14.
- اللامركزية والتنظيم الإداري لجامعة الخرطوم. Khartoum: University of Khartoum. 16–18 October 2005.
- ↑ Al-Nasri, Abdulrahman (23–25 November 1981). وضع المكتبات بالجامعة 1956-1981. Seminar of the Silver Jubilee of the University of Khartoum. Khartoum, Sudan: University of Khartoum.
- ↑ "The Sudan Library". University of Khartoum (archived). 2008-10-23. Archived from the original on 23 October 2008. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
- ↑ "The classified catalogue of the Sudan collection in the University of Khartoum Library". University of Pennsylvania Libraries. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
- ↑ "al-Fihris al-muṣannaf li-majmu'at al-Sūdān (The classified catalogue of the Sudan collection)". New York Public Library. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
- 1 2 Abdelrahman, Omer Hassan (2017). "The status of the University of Khartoum institutional repository". Annals of Library and Information Studies. 64: 44–49. Retrieved 2026-05-13.
- ↑ "Invitation to DATAD-R V Workshop at University of Khartoum (2018)". Association of African Universities. 2018. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
- ↑ "From Kumasi to Khartoum: How Architectural Education in Africa Was Influenced by Modernism". ArchDaily. 2024. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
- ↑ Abdulrahman, Abdelmalik Mohamed; Ibrahim, Abulqasim (1992–1993). تقرير عن مكتبة جامعة الخرطوم (Report) (in Arabic). University of Khartoum.
- 1 2 "Official: Militias destroyed all higher education contents". Sudan Events. 2024-10-11. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
- ↑ "Humanitarian aid efforts must include educational support". University World News. 2025-01-14. Retrieved 2025-05-13.
- ↑ جامعة الخرطوم: النظم الأساسية واللوائح الأكاديمية والإدارية (in Arabic). University of Khartoum. 2014.
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