TALIM

The TALIM Research Library is one of the most important libraries specializing on Morocco.  It consists of 8,000 works: 40% in English; 30% in French; 10% in Spanish and 5% in Arabic as well as a collection in Portuguese.  The library is comprised of: books, theses, monographs, periodicals, microfilm, maps, newspapers, and photographs.  Of particular note are: the collection of more than 100 antique maps on the Mediterranean region; a bound newspaper collection covering the period 1884-1960; American consular correspondence with the Department of State (1797-1906); foreign travel accounts (17^th to the 19^th century); the official bulletin of the Protectorate period (1913-1942); a section on Operation Torch (the Allied landings in North Africa in 1942); and the Western Sahara Issue.  The Research Library attracts scholars from North African, the U.S. as well as many other countries from around the world.  In Morocco the TALIM Research Library is considered a primary reference library for university faculties in the area. (law, economics, science, literature).

The library is located in a 3-story building of 18^th century origin attached to the Museum.  With its central atrium, exposed wood-timbered ceilings, and Moroccan decor, the Research Library is one of the most traditional sections of the Museum.  Of special note is the Joseph Verner Reed Library, a handsome set of books, many leather bound, which he collected while serving as ambassador to Morocco in the 1980s and later donated to the Museum.  The reading room on the second floor designed around a large pastel painting by the American artist (and former Peace Corps volunteer to Morocco), Stacy Elko.   The reading room provides an attractive environment for scholars doing research on Morocco .

The archive is unique in terms of scale, content, and the significant use it receives. It is recognized specifically for:

·  offering a unique, interlinked aggregation of scholarly works

·  facilitating interdisciplinary and historical research

·  exemplary standards for digitization and completeness

·  interfaces and functionality that support academic use

·  highly reliable access

·  long-term preservation

Today, academic journals comprise the majority of the content in the archive. Journals are always included from volume 1, issue 1 and include previous and related titles. The most recently published issues (past 3-5 years) are not available. However, users can search this material and link to the publisher's site or other online source for access.

The archives are being expanded continuously with a current emphasis on international publications as well as collections of other content types such as pamphlets, images and manuscripts from libraries, societies, and museums. New initiatives to support innovations in scholarship, such as using the archives for text mining and enabling the pre-publication sharing of ideas among scholars, are also underway.