OCR Text |
Show .2. g. Of the rare journal material, Utah is probably one of three institutions in Anerica to acquire tha important and famous tfAb Machrik" review complete from an anonymous ecclesiastical source in Lebanon. From Egypt, another instance is tha defunct but important weekly literary and political journal nAl-Siyasa al~UsbuHya, probably the only complete collection in the United States. Other examples are too numerous to be cited in detail. Discovery of a literary estate housed in a mediaeval vault near the ancient Azher Islamic University where book collections had been stored and remained unopened for years. Without exaggeration in the process of removing the collection^ I must have swallowed several pounds of the thin dust which had been settling for years on the stacked columns of books on the floor of this dark hide-away. Yes! Everywhere! They are mostly personal friends, old colleagues and acquaintances. Through them, I was able to locate many treasures. They live on the premises and are aware of the existence and whereabouts of untold literary riches in private homes and unknown places. The most striking acquisitions were made through those channels rather than the ordinary booksellers. In History8 History of the Arabs (Medieval and Modem), The Crusades, History of Egypt, Relations of the Middle East and the West, Islamic Culture and Civilization. In Language: Arabic Literature, Directed Reading, Advanced Conversation, Arabic Palaeography. The latter subject is based on several hundreds of varied quires of original Arabic manuscripts representing the whole evolution of the Arabic script throughout the centuries. The said collection is probably unique, and the system of using original material In teaching is probably the first experiment of its kind In America. The collection will be enriched by further acquisitions from the recent book-buying expedition. Hitherto, the functional corner of Intercultural Studies is located in the Middle East Language and Area Center supported by the Federal Office of Education under National Defense Education Act auspices. |