MELA Notes

This article examines the development, holdings, and contributions of the Rare Books and Special Collections Library (RBSCL) of the American University in Cairo (AUC) in Cairo, Egypt. Tracing its origins to AUC's acquisition in the 1950s of the library of pioneering Islamic art and architecture scholar K.A.C. Creswell, this piece outlines how the present day RBSCL was created in the early 1990s through the merging of several special collections units at the university. The emergence of various collecting areas and description of major acquisitions and holdings across multiple formats is covered, including rare books and manuscripts, archives, architectural sources, Egyptology collections, photographs, historical magazines, and maps. Activities like conservation and digitization are also addressed, as well as RBSCL's service to researchers and outreach efforts.