Digitized Collections at the University Libraries

The University Libraries' digitized collections are housed in the Archives and Special Collections (ASC) Department. These collections are built gradually.

The collections are composed of the University Archives, Arabic manuscripts, photographs, posters, and student master's theses and doctoral dissertations. The latter comprises the largest collection since the Libraries are the designated repository for them.

The aim of the University Libraries is to continue digitizing all documents of this nature, and to make them accessible and retrievable either through the Library Catalog or from the main webpage.

Archives

The Students Union Gazette: A gazette issued by the students of the Syrian Protestant College (SPC) which became the American University of Beirut (AUB) in 1920. The University Archives' holdings of the Gazette includes 9 volumes that cover the period 1913 to 1932.

Emile Bustani's Papers

Emile Bustani, an internationally known Lebanese entrepreneur and politician from Dibbiyeh Chouf, 1907-1963.

Graduated from AUB in 1929. He rejoined AUB in 1930 as an instructor in physics and a graduate student till he received his MA in 1932. He got his BS in civil engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1933.

Few years later Bustani founded Contracting and Trading Company, CAT. He was Minister of Public Works and member of the Lebanese Parliament between 1951 and 1963. He kept his connections with his Alma Mater as President of AUB Alumni Association and member of the Board of Trustees from 1961 till his tragic death 1963. He had good relations with almost all Lebanese and Arab leaders.

Since his early days as a student, Mr. Bustani, had shown interest in writing in several AUB publications. Later he wrote three books: Convention currents in the Chromosphere, 1949; Doubts and Dynamite, 1958; and March Arabesque, 1961.

Emile Bustani Papers were donated to AUB by his wife Laura and his daughter Mirna Bustani in 2006. A two years digitizing project enabled University libraries to avail digital copies of these papers to researchers.

Manuscripts

Arabic Manuscripts: The University Libraries own approximately 1400 manuscripts of which 27 Arabic valuable ones were digitized and made accessible online with information description. Read more

Photographs

• The E.W. Blatchford Photograph Collection: 801 photographs of the late 19th century Middle East collected by E.W. Blatchford and donated to AUB by his daughter, Mrs. Howard Bliss.
• The Moore Photograph Collection: 79 out of 106 black and white photos of AUB campus, Lebanon and the region. Photos were taken by Dr. Franklin Moore who was teaching at the Syrian Protestant College between 1892 and 1915.
• AUB 1928 Yearbook: 40 photos of different campus buildings as well as different classes.

Posters

• Art Posters in Lebanon: 177 Posters were donated by artists to the Archives and Special Collections Department. The collection resulted from the "Exhibition on Art Posters in Lebanon" organized by the Steering Committee of AUB Arts Center and held at the Lee Observatory, AUB, March 2001.
• Political Posters from the 60s through the 80s: 364 Posters gathered from their original sources or from the American University of Beirut campus. This collection covers two main topics: The Palestinian Question, Lebanon and the Lebanese Civil War.

AUB Dissertations/Projects/Theses

Digital copies of AUB Dissertations/Projects/Theses are available through the Library Catalog - LIBCAT, for Intranet access only. Select Thesis/Diss/Project from the left side menu on LIBCAT page and search by "Title" or "Author".

AUB Photograph Collection

Digital copies are available through the Library Catalog - LIBCAT. search by "Title" or "Keyword" and "Restrict to items of media type = Photographs".

All queries about the manuscripts may be directed to the Archives and Special Collections staff at:
asc@aub.edu.lb, or by telephone (961) 1-350 000 ext.2609/10.