SOAS (School of Oriental and African Studies) Library
Created | Updated Oct 20, 2010
Whilst the college is one of the top colleges in the country the library leaves a lot to be desired. I have used three college libraries in the University of London as well as the main library at Senate House 1 and the SOAS library is not only bizarre it is often a Kafkaesque experience.
Despite the electronic tagging of books you are not allowed to take your bag into the library. Thus you have to check any baggage in at the cloakroom. The problem here is that there are only so many pegs so you often have to queue for 20 minutes before being able to hand in your bag2.
Once inside the staff are, in the main, truculent 3 and do not think about asking them for help, as you are unlikely to get any.
The library itself is not logically set up, as far as I can see. The floors do not start with the Ground Floor and work their way sensibly up to the Fourth Floor. Rather the top floor is Floor A and the next floor down is B, etc. This can be particularly confusing. A small note but an important one, there are not enough desks or seats, I have often had to squat on the floor to read an article or chapter from a book that I cannot take out of the building.
As for the main reason you will be using the library well, I am studying Middle Eastern history and politics so on my first visit I looked for books on the Middle East on a wall chart and headed in that direction, needless to say it led me to books WRITTEN in Arabic rather than on the Arabic people. The periodicals, on Level B please note, are in no order whatsoever and I have spent many an unhappy hour searching in vain for the Journal of Palestine Studies.
Basically, if you attend SOAS 4 go straight to your head of course/department and ask for a form to let you go to Senate House. Not only is it next door, so you don't have far to go, it also lets you take your bags in, the staff are helpful and it is a lovely building5.
1The latter is the best, by the way.2Rather like a full car park you wait for a space before moving on.3A tutor I know from another University thinks it is because they are doing research degrees and resent having to work in the library too.4I have to say I love the college and the teaching staff.5The Goldsmiths Library is particularly useful for quiet study.
