The Institute maintains at its Nairobi base a research and reference library, unparalleled in the region, with holdings of books, journals, off-prints, theses, and grey literature covering African (and especially Eastern African) history, archaeology, ethnography and related subjects.

BIEA also maintains a large archive of unpublished records and images collected by a wide range of researchers over the last 50 years. We are currently in the process of organising these records and many have now been digitised by our partners Aluka/Jstore.

The library is open to members of the Institute and bona fide scholars, both resident in the region and visiting, and those associated with the universities, museums and cognate institutions in eastern Africa.

The library catalogue is now available online as a PDF file. Click here to download this file (1Mb). Library users also have access to Jstore through the BIEA computers.

Library News

In April 2009 the BIEA library migrated into our new office building where it is now merged with the library of the L'Institut français de recherche en Afrique (IFRA). The new library offers a significant increase in the number and range of titles available. It also offers increased desk space and increased natural lighting. We hope you enjoy the improvements.