Notable Purchases, i^S9-^o

ROLAND BAUGHMAN
 

In each November issue of Library Columns we undertake to draw
the attention of our readers to the purchase, through the use of regu¬
lar or special Library funds, of certain rare or unusual books and
manuscripts during the preceding year. This is the third article in the
series, which was begun in i^jS — Editor.
 

BEYOND question, the most important puichase made
during the past year was that of the private library
formed b)- the late Professor Arthur Jeffery. This col¬
lection, numbering more than 5,000 titles, has been assembled by
Professor Jeffery over many years, and represents his scholarly
activity and authoritative interest in Near Eastern studies. It is
paiticularly rich in works relating to the Kotan and inchides
numeious extremely rare printed editions — as well as manu¬
scripts — of various texts, translations and commentaries. (This
group of Koranic materials is probably without equal in any pii-
vate library.) There are also many biographical and critical
studies of jMohammed, wotks on Arabic grammar and ancient
poetry, on Semitic culture in general, on the Bible and on Chris¬
tian theology. In addition there are numerous photographic copies
of Arabic manuscripts in various Near Eastern libraries.

Columbia's interest in the history and literature of the Near
East is of long standing, and was fostered by the gift in 1931 of
the David Eugene Smith library which had strong holdings in
Koranic and other Persian and Arabic manuscripts. In keeping
with this avowed enthusiasm of Dr. Smith, wc have been able to
acquire in the past year, through the endowment established in
1944, a fine group of nine Near Eastern manuscripts. Among
these are six copies of the Koran and a volume of religious poems,
in the main beautifully written, illuminated and bound, produced

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