Arthur Paul Afghanistan Collection
One of the largest collections of Afghanistan research materials in the world is housed at the Criss Library, University of Nebraska at Omaha. The Collection serves the research needs of current and future generations of students and scholars, who find the resources of the Arthur Paul Afghanistan Collection comprehensive, unique, and well-organized. In addition to students and faculty, a number of national and international scholars benefit from the rich resources of this library.
The Collection contains about 12,000 titles. A number of documents in the collection are rare and unique to this library. Most of the 19th and early 20th century English language publications in the collection are written by British authors conveying their personal experiences and the British Indian government's policy concerning Afghanistan. Materials are cataloged and are accessible through the Library's catalog.
History of the Collection
Portrait: Arthur Paul
In the fall of 1974, the Criss Library received Arthur Paul's private collection of Afghanistan materials. His collection consisted of about 1,200 books and periodicals in the English, Persian, and Pashto languages. Mr. Paul (1898 – 1976) served as an economic advisor to the Royal Government of Afghanistan from 1960 to 1965, and during his service, he collected Afghanistan related materials for his private library.
For the past several decades the library acquired additional materials to enhance the resources to meet the increasing demands for Afghanistan research materials. The need for resource materials increased after the Soviet invasion in 1979, and the subsequent events and political changes that occurred in Afghanistan. To meet this renewed interest in Afghanistan the Library acquires additional materials on Afghanistan as they become available. In addition to regular purchases, the library purchase large collections when they become available. In 1993, the UNO Library purchased a collection of over 400 books from New York book dealer. Another large private collection of about 120 books arrived at the Library in May 2005 through the UNO Center for Afghanistan Studies. Gift materials given to the Library by individuals have been added to the collection.
Collection Highlight: Books & Journals
Books comprise a large part of the collection. The collection is rich in the 19th and 20th century political history of Afghanistan, however, ample research materials is available to support research projects pertaining to all aspects of Afghan lives from pre-historic periods to the present. The 19th century English materials in the collection are mostly written by the British officers who describe their personal experiences and the Anglo-Afghan wars in detail. The oldest printed book in the collection is: "An Historical Relations of the Origin, Progress, and Final Dissolution of the Government of the Rohilla Afgans in the Northeastern Provinces of Hindostan, written by Charles Hamilton, printed in London by G. Kearsley in 1787.
The Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in 1979 ended a century-long isolation and Afghanistan once again hit the headlines and front pages of major newspapers. Afghanistan was the focus of political debates and scholarly interests during the final years of the Cold War. Large number of books that published during late 20th century focus on the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the mujahideen struggles against the communist government. The Criss Library acquired titles as they became available.
The fall of the Taliban and subsequent political changes in Afghanistan made it possible for the library to acquire materials from Afghanistan. Beginning 2005, the library receives Dari and Pashto materials from Afghanistan and added to the collection.
A bibliography is available at the Criss Library.
Collection Highlight: Maps
The Arthur Paul Afghanistan Collection holds unique and historic maps, dating from the 16th century to the present. A number of the maps in the collection donated to the library by Dr. John F. Shroder. Dr. Shroder lived in Afghanistan in 1970s, and helped to develop the national atlas of Afghanistan. In early 2007 the library purchased a number of unique and historical maps for the collection.
Additional Afghanistan map collections are at:
http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/afghanistan.html
Collection Highlight: Photographs
Afghanistan photographic collections include the "The Afghan Folio" by Luke Powell, and "Afghanistan: Images of War" by Bruce Richardson. Mr. Powell has made several trips to Afghanistan and photographed Afghanistan prior to the Soviet invasion and also periods following the invasion. The Afghan Folio is printed with the Kodak Dye Transfer Process by the photographer. The Dye Transfer prints are more permanent than photographs produced by conventional processes.
Afghanistan: Images of War is a collection of photographs by Bruce Richardson. Mr. Richardson, a prominent photojournalist traveled to Afghanistan on several occasions between 1986 and 1996. Most of his photographs cover the mujahideen's struggle against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
In addition to the two large collections of photographs the library has a number of photographs by various individuals.
Collection Highlight: Audio/Visual Resources
Oral History Resources
A collection of about twenty hours of interviews conducted at the University Library in 1980s covering the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and its impact on the people of Afghanistan. The interviews recorded on audio tapes and are available at the Criss Library. These inteviews were conducted in the English, Dari and Pashto languages.
Documentary Film Resources
Documentary films became a popular method of collecting accurate information from people following the Soviet invasion. The library has over two dozen of documentary films in the collection.
The documentary films in the collection include:
- Afghanistan Unveiled
- Afghanistan the Lost Truth
- Afghanistan the Secret War
- Afghanistan, Hidden War
- Behind the Veil, Afghan Women under Fundamentalism
- Building Democracy in War Torn Country
- Nightline – Afghanistan
Collection Highlight: Manuscripts
The Collection includes a few manuscripts including the "Haft Aurang", a collection of poems by Nurddin Abdul Rahman Jami (1414 – 1492). The books consists of seven chapters, each begins with illustrations in gold and lapis lazuli. This handwritten manuscript is dated 1860.