Aga Khan Library

The Aga Khan Library is a collaboration between the Institute of Ismaili Studies (IIS) and the Aga Khan University Research Institute of Muslim Civilizations (AKU-ISMC). The idea behind its establishment began when these two institutes moved to the same building in central London in 2008. These institutes continued to manage independent libraries for several years. However, in 2014, they consolidated their services and their invaluable collection of Islamic studies to better serve their community of researchers, students, and staff. This new library was unofficially known as the IIS-ISMC Joint Library. In 2018, the combined library was opened to the public as the Aga Khan Library, located in the newly built Aga Khan Centre. With over 54,000 volumes and state-of-the-art facilities, the [Library] provides the academic public with resources for in-depth research on the most diverse topics in Islamic studies. The library houses the largest collection in Europe for the study of Ismaili communities, their history and beliefs. It also offers a wide range of resources on Shia Islam, Qur'anic literature, and other core topics of Islamic studies. These include invaluable collections for understanding the historical and current development of Muslim civilizations, their cultural production, and the situation of Muslim diasporas around the world.