ISAM library was established in 1984 with the purpose of collecting the publications necessary to prepare the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam under one roof and, also of making them available to all interested researchers. The library operates based on modern methods to help maintain research and publication activities involving both the encyclopedia and other programs in a steady and timely fashion. It keeps track of all books and periodicals on Islamic culture, history, and civilization on a regular basis. Expanding outside Islamic studies, the library collections have continuously grown richer in other areas of social sciences, especially with respect to Turkish history, culture, and literature. In time, many private collections have been added as well, such as those belonging to Ziyad Ebuzziya, Orhan Saik Gokyay, Nejat Goyunc, Hilmi Oflaz, Nihat M. Cetin, Yavuz Argit, Albert Hourani, Jacques Waardenburg, Kemal Beydilli, and Ilber Ortayli. Some of these private collections include rare archival documents.

• ISAM Data Base of Turkish Libraries

This database contains citations regarding 717,000 manuscripts and publications housed in 122 different libraries in Turkey, including all manuscript libraries in Istanbul. It was created with the aim of supporting the publication efforts of the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam as well as internal use by the research staff at ISAM.

• The Thesis Data Base

In addition to the data base on major library collections and to further facilitate the preparation of the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam and other ISAM publications, the citations of all thesises prepared in Turkish colleges and universities within the main areas of interest to ISAM were also collected, and computerized resulting in the creation of the Thesis Data Base. This regularly updated database includes a total of 286,000 thesis citations.

• The Article Database

Currently, the Article Date Base contains citations for 855,000 articles, including all of the articles in the Turkiye Makaleler Bibliyografyasi published in Turkey from 1929 to 1999. This database incorporates complete and up to date information about articles published in the journals of the Theology Faculties as well. Efforts to enhance this data base continue through the addition of all articles, already present in ISAM library and their reprints in ISAM’s major research fields.

Domestic researchers unable to come to ISAM library can also utilize the existing databases by sending their requests via e-mail to: kutuphane@isam.org.tr

• Documentation

The ISAM Documentation service holds 17,310 document folders in its collections. These folders are prepared by going through 135,562 books and 63,234 issues of 2,149 different kinds of journals that are connected with entries to be included in the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam published by ISAM. In addition to the researchers who are members of our Library, academics from outside Istanbul can also consult these document folders. Those wishing to use these folders can request documents through e-mailing our Library at: kutuphane@isam.org.tr.

The Documentation service is open seven days a week from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.

• Ottoman Court Records Archive

This archive houses microfilm versions of the records from 27 Shari‘ah courts (9,895 defters, or registers) that are kept at the Office of the Jurisconsult of Istanbul (Istanbul Muftulugu), the Daily Account Books of the Rumelian and Anatolian Chief Military Judges (Rumeli ve Anadolu Kazarkerligi Ruznamceleri) (377 defters), the registers of the Head of the Descendents of the Prophet (Nakibu’l-Esraf defterleri) (33 defters), and the Judge seals (Kadi Muhurleri) (13 defters), and the Shari‘ah Court Records in the Milli Kutuphane (8,860 defters). In addition, it also contains microfilms of the court records from the Manastir region of Macedonia (185 defters) and from Livno, Mostar, Priyedor, Sarajevo, Temesvar, and Visoko regions (118 defters) which are kept at the archives of Sarajevo Oriental Studies Institute, Mostar / Herzegovina Archives, Sarajevo History Archives, and Gazi Husrev Bey Library.

Ottoman Shari‘ah Court Records Archive is open to researchers seven days a week from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm.

Electronic Publications Projects

The aim of this umbrella project is to ease the process of reaching the sources needed for researchers studying in the areas of Islamic studies, humanities, and social studies via internet. The databases, shortly described below and most of which can be reached through the website of ISAM, are being continuously updated:

1. Database of Turkish Libraries

In this database, there are bibliographic records of a total of 709.000 manuscripts and printed works from 122 different libraries, including primarily the manuscript libraries in Istanbul.

2. Database for Theses

This database has been formed in order to assist researchers by collecting bibliographic information from theses concerning social sciences written in universities located within Turkey. In this constantly updated database, there are 286,000 identified theses at present and it is open to researchers on ISAM’s local network.

3. Database for Articles

The total sum of articles in the Database for Articles, which also contains the articles in the Turkey Bibliography of Articles (1923-2003), has reached 837,000.

Work to enrich the database continues through the inclusion of articles related to social sciences and the offprints in our library. While the database is open to researchers on ISAM’s local network, it is also possible to make subject-based search via email if desired.

4. Database for Articles in Islamic Studies

This database, which consists of not only symposium and congress presentations, but also of academic periodicals published primarily by Theology faculties, various publishers, and institutions, includes the bibliographical records of articles along with the full texts of 25,832 articles in PDF format. The total number of bibliographical records in the database has reached 26,819 including 2,642 bibliographical records uploaded in 2013. The database is also accessible via the internet for users’ convenience.

5. Database for Theses in Theology Faculties

This database is comprised of approximately 15,055 completed or on-going master and doctoral theses composed in Theology faculties since 1953. The main aim of this database is to make those theses which are currently being written known to researchers while also preventing researchers from writing on the same topic.

This database is continuously updated via our correspondence with Theology faculties and the Thesis Center of YÖK (The Council of Higher Education). The database is accessible via the internet for users’ convenience.

6. Documentation Database

This database, whose goal is to share the documentation files used during the writing of the TDV Encyclopedia of Islam with researchers, was completed in 2013. As a result, the number of documentation files in PDF format in this database has reached a total of 13,008. The process of adding new sources to the database via new searches is scheduled to continue.

7. Database for Articles in Ottoman Turkish

This database consists of articles from Ottoman magazines on history, literature, and Islamic studies, which, by year 2013 included more than 13,064 articles with their full texts in PDF format. The database is continuously updated with new articles constantly added.

8. Database for Old Treatises in Ottoman Turkish

This database consists of old treatises in Ottoman Turkish about history, literature, and Islamic studies and it includes approximately 2,500 old treatises with their full texts in PDF format. The database is continuously updated and new treaties are constantly added to it.

9. Database for Ottoman Annuals

The database for Ottoman Annuals in the ISAM Library was put into service in 2013. This database includes Ottoman state and province annuals (sālnāmes) and currently has 532 works in PDF format.