Royal Asiatic Society Collections: Library Committee Minutes

Scope and Content

The Library Committee of the Royal Asiatic Society is part of the organisational structure of the Society and has oversight for the Society's Collections. This material contains the Minutes of its Meetings along with Reports and Papers presented at the Meetings and some significant correspondence.

Administrative / Biographical History

The Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland was founded by the eminent Sanskrit scholar Sir Henry Thomas Colebrooke on the 15th March 1823. It received its Royal Charter from King George IV on the 11th August 1824 'for the investigation of subjects connected with and for the encouragement of science, literature and the arts in relation to Asia'. It continues as a forum for those who are interested in the languages, cultures and history of Asia to meet and exchange ideas. The Library Committee was briefly formed in 1937 to oversee the production of a Catalogue. It was re-instituted in 1966 and serves to oversee strategy and management concerning the Society's Collections.

Arrangement

The material was organised chronologically.

Access Information

Mostly open. Current material (the last twenty years) is closed for confidentiality reasons. It may be available in a redacted form to researchers. Please contact the archivist using the email address given here. The archive is open on Tuesdays and Fridays 10-5, and Thursdays 2-5. Access is to any researcher without appointment but it will help if an appointment is made via phone or email. Please bring photo ID.

Acquisition Information

These are part of the institutional records of the Royal Asiatic Society which have been accumulated throughout its history.

Archivist's Note

This material was catalogued by Nancy Charley, RAS Archivist, in 2019.

Conditions Governing Use

Digital photography (without flash) for research purposes may be permitted for open records upon completion of a copyright declaration form, and with respect to current UK copyright law. Copies of digital material may also be made available

Custodial History

These records are part of the Royal Asiatic Society's Institutional Records and therefore part of the historical records of the Society.

Related Material

Further information concerning the Library Committee can be found in the Council Minutes of the Society.