The Middle East Materials Project (MEMP) preserves collections in digital and microform format of unique, rare, hard to obtain, and often expensive research material for Middle East studies. It also preserves deteriorating printed and manuscript scholarly materials. The geographic scope of MEMP coverage includes Arab countries, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and related areas not covered by other cooperative materials projects.
MEMP is made possible through the support of the Center for Research Libraries, which serves as its administrative, fiscal, and legal agent.
Since its inception in 1987, MEMP has acquired more than 100 newspaper titles in Arabic, Turkish, and English, including a large collection of Sudanese and Turkish papers. Other projects include the microfilming of a large pamphlet file of materials on the Middle East at the Library of Congress and the microfilming of the Cosro Chaqeri Collection of Iranian Left-wing Materials. In cooperation with MEMP, Fawzy W. Khoury and Michelle Bates compiled the "Middle East in Microform: a Union List of Middle Eastern Microforms in North American Libraries" (University of Washington Libraries, 1992), a revised and expanded version of "National Union Catalog of Middle Eastern Microforms" (University of Washington Libraries, 1989).
Some MEMP microfilm is available for purchase. For more information, see Microform Sales [1].
Meeting Minutes and other information related to the ongoing work of MEMP may be found in the MEMP Workspace [2]. The MEMP Workspace is an enterprise wiki that members can access to share, review and edit documentation and other content. It is open only to MEMP Members.
For questions or information about MEMP, contact Marlies Bauhofer [3].
MEMP is governed by its members and the MEMP Bylaws [15] can be revised by a vote of the representatives at MEMP member institutions [16]. The members of MEMP also elect the MEMP Executive Committee [17], which helps set and enact MEMP's organizational priorities. MEMP meets once a year, usually in the fall, in conjunction with the Annual Meeting of the Middle East Librarians Association (MELA [18]). At these meetings, MEMP considers and votes on funding proposals for new projects and acquisitions.
Educational institutions and nonprofit organizations that maintain a library and whose interests coincide with MEMP are welcome to Join MEMP [19].
MEMP was founded in 1987 by members of MELA who saw the need for cooperative preservation of research materials from and about the Middle East. An article about MEMP's History [20] describes the work of MEMP over the years.
November 1987
Amended November 1991, 1993, 2002, 2013
Purpose and Geographic Scope of MEMP
The purpose of the Middle East Materials Project (MEMP) is to provide access to unique, scarce, rare, or unusually bulky and expensive research material in all formats pertaining to the field of Middle Eastern studies using proven technologies through cooperative acquisition and/or preservation.
The geographic coverage of MEMP includes materials from or about the Arab world, Israel, Turkey, Iran, and other related areas not covered by other cooperative preservation projects.
Governance
Ownership
The MEMP Committee
The Executive Board
The MEMP Executive Board meets once a year, normally in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Middle East Librarians' Assocation (MELA). It may also meet a second time during the year at the discretion of the Chairperson. A telephone or video conference may be substituted for an in-person meeting. Members of the MEMP Executive Board make arrangements to cover the expenses of attendance at the annual meeting with their own institutions. The expenses of Executive Board members for attendance at a second meeting can be reimbursed by the Executive Board in consultation with the CRL Representative. In arriving at the amount of reimbursement the Executive Board will take into consideration support from one's home institution, travel distance to the second meeting, and any other special circumstances.
The MEMP Executive Board is composed of both elected and ex-officio members, each of whom has one vote, except for the CRL Representative. Members or their designated substitutes must be present at Executive Board meetings in order to vote.
The Center for Research Libraries (CRL)
Amendment of the MEMP Bylaws
Membership in MEMP is open to any institution or nonprofit organization maintaining a library and whose interests coincide with the project.
Member institutions are entitled to borrow, via Interlibrary Loan or by fax or electronic document delivery, all MEMP-funded material in accordance with CRL’s lending policies. These materials are available through the Center for Research Libraries’ online catalog [22] and are in OCLC.
Members receive discounted prices on purchasing microform material filmed by the project and within copyright limitations. Members also participate in the programmatic direction and governance of the project by proposing and voting on materials to acquire or film under the project.
Membership is assessed on an annual basis (beginning in July). Members in North America are assessed an annual membership fee of $750. The annual membership fee for MEMP member institutions outside of North America is $500.
See the MEMP bylaws [15] for more details.
To join MEMP, please complete and return the Membership Request Form.
For more information about membership or to inquire about joining MEMP, please contact Marlies Bauhofer [3].
The MEMP Executive Board consists of both elected and ex-officio members.
Elected members of the Executive Board are: six (6) representatives of member institutions.
Ex-officio members of the Executive Board are: a representative designated by CRL, the Head of the Library of Congress [21] Near East Section or a nominee, and the current President of the Middle East Librarians Association [18] (MELA).
Deborah Schlein & Peter Magierski (Co-chairs) (2023-)
Sohaib Baig, University of California, Los Angeles
Dale Correa, University of Texas at Austin
Michael Hopper, Harvard University
Deborah Schlein (2023-2026), Princeton University
Peter Magierski (2019-2022), Columbia University
Evyn Kropf (2021-2024), University of Michigan
Heather Hughes (current MELA President), University of Pennsylvania
Sean Swanick, Duke University
Guy Burak, New York University
Joan S. Weeks, Library of Congress
Anaïs Salamon, McGill
Rustin Zarkar, UNC-Chapel Hill
Marlies Bauhofer, Center for Research Libraries
The Middle East Microform Project (MEMP) was founded in 1987 by members of the Middle East Librarians Association (MELA) [18]. Its founding was the culmination of a long-perceived need for cooperative preservation of research materials from the Middle East, discussed as early as 1975 in a MELA workshop entitled “Cooperation Among Middle East Libraries of North America [23]”.
For more information on MEMP, see also: “The Middle East Microform Project: Past, Present, and Future [20]” in FOCUS, Volume XXIII, Number 3, Spring 2004.
MEMP's microform and digital collections form a large pool of historical, political, linguistic, economic, and geographical data and primary source materials not available elsewhere. Many of the sets contain archival material or large collections of material that do not lend themselves to traditional analytic cataloging. Many of these sets have Collection Guides to help scholars locate specific material of interest to their research.
Read more > [24]
A comprehensive Holdings List of MEMP material is also available. The Holdings List is organized by country of publication.
Read more > [25]
Researchers who are interested in MEMP's current activities may check the list of Current MEMP Projects, which lists those projects recently funded by MEMP, but not yet complete.
Read more > [26]
New materials are added to the MEMP collection on an ongoing basis. Funding proposals for acquisitions and new projects are considered each year at MEMP's annual meeting. Proposals to preserve or acquire research material in microfilm, digital or other format are welcomed by MEMP. Guidelines for proposing a MEMP project will assist members in crafting successful proposals.
Read more > [27]
This page highlights important items in the MEMP collection. It does not represent the complete MEMP holdings. For access to all of MEMPs holdings, please search the CRL Catalog [22].
The Ahali Group of Newspapers reflect the ideas, philosophy, and political activities of first the Ahali Group and later the National Democratic Party of Iraq. The political publications of the Group commenced in 1932 and continued intermittently, under various names, until 1963. The Chadirji Research Centre produced a set of 27 microfilm reels and an index to the collection. It contains collections of al-Ahali, Sawt al-Ahali, al-Mabdaa, al-Bayan, Sada al-Ahali, al-Mauatin, and al-Akhaa al-Watani. An article index [28] is available on CD-ROM.
Catalog Record [29] Guide [30]
MEMP has filmed a portion of the Chaquèri Collection of Iranian left-wing materials produced by, or relating to, a number of groups opposing the regime of Muhammad Riza Shah Pahlavi (r. 1941-1979). The collection amounts to 1,100 items, and includes pamphlets and other ephemeral material. The items in the collection are cataloged individually and can be accessed here [31].
Catalog Record [32] Guide [33]
This collection was filmed in the 1990s from material collected at the Library of Congress. Materials are in Arabic, English, French, German, and other languages. The collection contains pamphlets and other ephemeral materials from the 1950s through the early 1980s.
Guide [34]
This collection of over 4,000 items was microfilmed on 89 reels by MEMP in 2009-2010. The materials were collected by Dr. George Atiyeh, former Head of the Near East Section of the Library of Congress from 1967 to 1996. The collection includes pamphlets, speeches, newsletters, and other ephemera from across the Middle East, published mostly 1960-1995. Many of the materials are in Arabic, but there are quite a number of items in English and French and also German, Spanish, Russian and other languages.
Catalog Record [35] Guide [36]
This collection includes over 1,300 documents microfilmed on 55 reels by MEMP in 2019. Many of the items are from Egypt, Sudan and West Bank/Gaza, with additional materials from other countries. They were published in the late 1990s and 2000s, up until 2015. They deal with a wide variety of subjects such as politics, culture, laws, women, public health, environment, economics, and human rights. They also contain materials regarding different political parties, movements, and social and economic events. Many of the materials are in Arabic, but there are quite a number in English and French.
Catalog Record [37] Guide [38]
MEMP has filmed this newspaper from New York, which was once the largest Arabic daily publication in the United States. The newspaper contains news and articles concerning the Arab community in the United States along with international news. All of the editorials were written by Abu Madi, one of the founders of the "Pen League".
Catalog Record [39]
The newspaper was published under various names from 1884 through 1960 and exists in the British Library on a total of 23 reels. This newspaper, in English, is virtually the only continuously published newspaper source on Morocco from such an early date.
Al-Moghreb al-Aksa: Tangier chronicle and Morocco gazette. Jan. 2, 1897 - Feb. 3, 1923 [40]
Al-Moghreb al-Aksa: Tangier gazette. Feb. 10, 1923 - Jan. 22, 1927 [41]
Tangier gazette: al-Moghreb al-Aksa & Morocco. Jan. 29 ,1927 - May 14, 1932 [42]
Tangier gazette and Morocco mail. May 27, 1932 - May 28, 1940 [43]
Tangier gazette and al Mogh-reb al Aksa. May 17, 1949 - Dec. 28, 195 [44]
Comprehensive printed guides to MEMP’s collections are no longer issued, as they have been superceded by CRL’s online catalog [22].
The August 2011 Holdings List [45], the most complete list of MEMP’s collections, contains the definitive bibliographic listing of all materials MEMP has collected. The list displays material organized by country and alphabetized by author/title.
These lists of recently received and cataloged MEMP items are provided to members at MEMP meetings, which are held once a year.
November 2011 [46]
November 2012 [47]
October 2013 [48]
November 2014 [49]
November 2015 [50]
November 2016 [51]
November 2017 [52]
November 2018 [53]
November 2019 [54]
October 2020 [55]
The Middle East in Microform: A Union List of Middle Eastern Microforms in North American Libraries [56] is now available on the University of Washington’s Website. This resource was compiled by Fawzi W. Khoury and Michele Bates in 1991 and was originally conceived by the MEMP Executive Committee as a guide for selection of material for microfilming or acquisition.
This serial is produced by the Nagam Cultural Project to be a “record of Arab culture and arts.” MEMP has filmed al-Jadid [57] from June to November 1993 and Aljadid [58] from November 1995 to Summer 2002. MEMP will continue to film this title on a continual basis.
An ethnic newspaper from California, the Beirut Times [59] documents Arab-American communities, with a focus on Los Angeles, and is being filmed by Bay Microfilm, Inc. MEMP owns August 31, 1985–December 31, 2008 and intends to preserve additional issues.
Habzbuz [60] is an illustrated, satirical Arabic-language newspaper published in Baghdad after the 2003 invasion. MEMP has digitized issues from 2003. The newspaper contains a wealth of political cartoons on events and public figures during the U.S. occupation.
Al-Iraq [61] is an Arabic-language newspaper of the Iraqi diaspora community, published in Glendale, California. The issues included in this digitization project are from April 2011 to October 2013.
MEMP is microfilming several post-2003 Iraqi newspapers from the collection of the University of California, Berkeley. al-Dawah [62] is published by the party to which Prime Minister Maliki belongs. al-Zaman [63] is a major indepedent newspaper in London which covers Iraqi politics. Al-Fat'h al-Mubin [64], al-Bayyinah al-Jadidah [65], and al-Huda [66] represent Shi-ite political views.
MEMP has also received more than 20 newspaper titles from Iraq that were collected by the Library of Congress office in Cairo. These will be microfilmed in 2014 and 2015. Titles include: Al-Istiqamah (Baghdad, Iraq) Dec. 27, 2003 – Oct. 16, 2008, Al-Manar al-Yawm (Baghdad, Iraq) Mar. 22, 2004 – Apr. 6, 2005, Al-Sa’ah (Baghdad, Iraq) December 27, 2003 – April 8, 2009, and many short runs of other titles.
Journal de Teheran [67] is a general newspaper in French from Iran. Stanford has contributed its holdings for 1949-1956 and 1960-1967 for MEMP microfilming.
MEMP is filming issues from 1989 to the present of the London title al-Quds al-Arabi [68], which covers contemporary Middle East issues. Holdings are being provided by Yale University and Exeter University (UK).
MEMP will preserve issues from 1987-2005 of this Persian language daily newspaper published in Los Angeles. The newspaper contains information on the local Iranian community as well as news from Iran.
This Egyptian journal began publishing in 2011, after the revolution began. Stanford is providing holdings of al-Tahrir [69] for this MEMP microfilming project.
MEMP's project microfilmed Turkish newspapers held by CRL, which complements previously filmed material held around the United States. This multiyear commitment has filmed several titles, including Milliyet [70], Son Posta [71], and Vakit [72].
MEMP microfilm holdings from 1932-1939 provided by Indiana University. Yas Turkistan [73] was an anti-bolshevik journal in Arabic script published in Berlin by Central Asian immigrants who created the political group struggling for freedom in Central Asia.
Proposals should be submitted using the Proposal Template [74]. The proposals will then be made available in the globalCollections platform [75].
In 2010, MEMP approved the MEMP Digitization Projects Guidelines [76].
E-mail completed proposals to Marlies Bauhofer [77]. If you have any questions about the form or about project proposal ideas, please contact Marlies Bauhofer [77].
MEMP is not directly involved in any current related projects, but the two projects listed below involve resources and efforts consistent with MEMP’s mission and goals.
OACIS for the Middle East [78] is a project sponsored by Yale University to improve access to Middle Eastern serials in libraries in the United States, Europe, and the Middle East.
Middle East Research Journal project [79] is sponsored by the Council of American Overseas Research Centers to provide indexing and preservation for a number of journals held in overseas institutions.
Links
[1] https://www.crl.edu/services/microform-sales/
[2] http://workspace.crl.edu/display/MEMP/Home
[3] mailto:mbauhofer@crl.edu
[4] https://www.crl.edu/impact/unique-arab-diaspora-materials-saved-future-scholars
[5] https://www.crl.edu/impact/insights-israel%25E2%2580%2599s-palestinians-rare-arab-language-newspaper
[6] https://www.crl.edu/impact/documenting-legal-record-precarious-regimes
[7] https://www.crl.edu/impact/afghan-documentation-spans-tumultuous-century
[8] https://www.crl.edu/impact/preserving-news-conflict-zones
[9] https://www.crl.edu/impact
[10] https://www.crl.edu/focus/fall-2016
[11] https://www.crl.edu/focus/fall-2011
[12] https://www.crl.edu/focus/spring-2004
[13] https://www.crl.edu/collections/topics/middle-eastern-studies
[14] https://www.crl.edu/facets/middle-east
[15] https://www.crl.edu/area-studies/memp/membership-information/by-laws
[16] https://www.crl.edu/area-studies/memp/membership-information/members-representatives
[17] https://www.crl.edu/area-studies/memp/membership-information/executive-committee
[18] http://www.mela.us/
[19] https://www.crl.edu/area-studies/memp/membership-information/how-become-member
[20] https://www.crl.edu/focus/article/5843
[21] http://www.loc.gov/
[22] http://catalog.crl.edu/
[23] http://www.mela.us/coop.pdf#page=159
[24] https://www.crl.edu/area-studies/memp/collections/guides
[25] https://www.crl.edu/area-studies/memp/collections/holdings-list
[26] https://www.crl.edu/area-studies/memp/collections/current-projects
[27] https://www.crl.edu/area-studies/memp/news/proposal-guidelines
[28] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b1590883~S1
[29] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b1488178~S35
[30] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/Ahali%20Group%20Newspapers.pdf
[31] http://catalog.crl.edu/search~S1/?searchtype=X&searcharg=Cosroe+Chaqu%C3%A8ri+collection+of+Iranian+left-wing+materials&searchscope=1&sortdropdown=-&SORT=D&extended=0&SUBMIT=Search&searchlimits=&searchorigarg=tCosroe+Chaqu{u00E8}ri+collection+of+Iranian+left-w
[32] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b1404298~S1
[33] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/Chaqueri.pdf
[34] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/LC%20Arabic%20Pamphlet%20Part%20I%20guide.pdf
[35] http://catalog.crl.edu/search~S1/tLibrary+of+Congress+Arabic+Pamphlet+Collection+%3B+P/tlibrary+of+congress+arabic+pamphlet+collection+part++++2/-3,-1,0,B/browse
[36] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/Library%20of%20Congress%20Arabic%20Pamphlet%20Collection%20Reel%20Contents.pdf
[37] https://catalog.crl.edu/Search/Results?lookfor=Library+of+Congress+Arabic+Pamphlet+Collection+%3B+Part+2-3.&type=AllFields&limit=20
[38] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/pages/Library%20of%20Congress%20Arabic%20Pamphlet%20Collection%20Reel%20Contents%20_Part%203.pdf
[39] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b1909138~S1
[40] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=216939980
[41] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=228302796
[42] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=228302747
[43] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=228302712
[44] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=228302689
[45] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/MEMP_Holdings_List_Aug2011_0.pdf
[46] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2011%20Nov.pdf
[47] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2012%20Nov.pdf
[48] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2013%20Oct.pdf
[49] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2014%20Nov.pdf
[50] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2015%20Nov.pdf
[51] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2016%20Nov.pdf
[52] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2017%20Nov.pdf
[53] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2018%20Nov.pdf
[54] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2019%20-%20Nov.pdf
[55] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Received%2020.pdf
[56] https://www.lib.washington.edu/static/public/neareast/MEinmform/MEinMicroform_final.pdf
[57] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=40352209
[58] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=40354639
[59] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=44259842
[60] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2873615%7ES1
[61] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2873616%7ES1
[62] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2737619~S1
[63] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2737474~S1
[64] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2805479~S1
[65] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2805366~S1
[66] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2805478~S1
[67] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2818715~S1
[68] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2102210~S1
[69] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2831261~S1
[70] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=81314546
[71] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=12167393
[72] http://catalog.crl.edu/search/o?SEARCH=77553141
[73] http://catalog.crl.edu/record=b2842066~S1
[74] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/attachments/pages/gCollections%20Proposal%20Template.docx
[75] https://gcollections.crl.edu/
[76] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/MEMP%20Digitization%20Projects%20Guidelines.docx
[77] mailto:mbauhofer@crl.edu?subject=MEMP%20Proposal
[78] http://www.library.yale.edu/oacis/
[79] http://www.dlir.org/merj-home.html
[80] https://www.crl.edu/sites/default/files/d6/attachments/pages/MEMPArabic.pdf