Building the Library

Leiden University is building a new Middle Eastern Library. This new library will lie at the heart of Cluster Zuid on the new Humanities Campus and will endeavour to provide a sense of community, a pleasant study and working environment and modern facilities for researchers and students in Middle Eastern Studies.

Building the Middle Eastern Library (MEL) is part of the Humanities Campus project which is transforming the Witte Singel Doelen-complex into a vibrant hub for the University and the city community. The MEL is planned to be opened at the start of the 2024-25 academic year.

The building will accommodate learning and research space and provide:

capacity for around 100 new study places
an extensive reference collection in open stacks
an information desk

Furthermore, the Cluster Zuidbuilding itself will feature over 700 study spots, 20 group study rooms and several hot coffee spots.

Bridge

The MEL is connected to the University Library by an enclosed pedestrian bridge allowing direct access from and to the University Library, the Asian Library and the Special Collections Reading Room.

African Library

Next to the Middle Eastern Library, the university will open a new African Library.

A welcoming entrance.
In the new Middle Eastern Library, library staff and collection specialists will support students and academic staff, helping them to consult collections and find the right sources.
Students and staff can study individually in quiet study areas at the reading tables or tables along the open stacks.
The Middle Eastern Library offers study places for every kind of library visitor, from cosy reading nooks to wide open study spaces.