Collection development on the Middle East in the British Library focusing on the Arabic collections

This paper aims to set out the British Library’s approach to collection development on the Middle East, highlighting issues which differ from collection development in a university library context. I will first outline the institutional context within which collecting on the Middle East occurs, before focusing on the Arabic collections. I discuss the collaborative approach to collection development in the UK with reference to the Area Specialisation Scheme operated by some of the main Middle East studies libraries, and consider the types of users the British Library aims to serve. I then discuss the main selection criteria and the various means of acquisition of Arabic-language materials.