Afghanistan Digital Collections گردآوردهای دیجیتال افغانستان دافغانستان دجیتال کلکسیونونه

On behalf of the University of Arizona Libraries, I wish to extend our deepest condolences to our partners at the Afghan Centre at Kabul University on the loss of a remarkable visionary, Nancy Hatch Dupree. For the last decade, we have been privileged to work with Nancy and others at the ACKU to create the Afghanistan Digital Collections. This collaboration has provided worldwide access to Afghanistan history, culture and development during the Jihad period, a body of work that was previously unknown and invisible. Just as importantly, we have created many digital copies saved in multiple locations to ensure that the collection will be preserved for posterity. In so doing, we have lived Nancy’s belief that to keep Afghanistan alive, we needed to keep Afghan culture alive. Even as we mourn her passing, we celebrate her lasting legacy to the country she loved. -- Dean Shan Sutton, The University of Arizona Libraries

Our Dear Friend Nancy Hutch Dupree, Founder and Director of ACKU, passed away on Sep 10 in Kabul. That is a huge loss for Afghanis, ACKU colleagues and us. Here is ACKU Statement

Go to Collections
Historial images of Afghanistan

Preserving and creating access to unique records نگهداری و دسترسی به اسناد بی نظیر دځانګړو اسنادو ساتنه اولاسرسی

Collections

ACKU Digital Collection
Unique collection of documents related to Afghanistan history, culture, and its development during the Jihad period and more.
Anis (1946 - 1984)
Anis is one of the oldest newspapers in Afghanistan. Initially, it was published by Mohayyuddin Anis in Kabul on May 6, 1927. Currently, it is published by the Ministry of Information and Culture. Around 80% of the news is published in Dari and 20% in Pashto. The daily prints around 2,200 to 2,500 copies daily and being circulated in Kabul and other provinces. It is funded by the government with around 43 employees.
Kabul Times (1962 - 1980)
The Kabul Times, established in 1962, was the first English language printed newspaper in Afghanistan. Following the 1978 coup, the Kabul Times was renamed New Kabul Times, and began to print Communist rhetoric that was reminiscent of days during the Cold War and was highly confrontative to the Western culture.
Afghanistan Kalany / Almanac
Da Afghanistan Kalanay also known as the Salnamah-i Afghanistan is an almanac and yearbook published by the Government of Afghanistan from 1932-1990 (1311-1369). This government publication covers major government activities including economic and agricultural plans. Each volume covers political and economic history and activities of the country. Text are mostly in Dari/Persian and Pashto languages. Some issues have added title and some notes in English or French.
Ludwig W. Adamec Collection - Selected Titles
Professor Emeritus Ludwig W Adamec's collection, who has provided multiple important titles for digitization. He has written and edited numerous books, including the monumental Historical and political gazetteer of Afghanistan.
Professor M. Mobin Shorish Collections - Selected Titles
A collection of materials spanning [1950s - 1990s] from the personal archives of University of Illinois Professor M. Mobin Shorish, who was an advocate for the rights and dignity of the Afghan people during almost 40 years of uninterrupted conflict.

A Partnership Project

The University of Arizona Libraries in partnership with the Afghanistan Centre at Kabul University is collaborating on Preserving and Creating Access to Afghanistan Literature from the Jihad Period, a project to catalog, digitize, and create metadata. This project is currently funded by the University of Arizona Libraries and ACKU. From 2007 to 2012, the initial project was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH).

Content includes:

Unique collection of documents related to Afghanistan history, culture, and its development during the Jihad period and more. ACKU’s permanent collection is the most extensive in the region covering a time of war and social upheaval in the country, with most of the documents in English or the principal languages of Pashto and Dari.

Two newspapers: Anis and Kabul Times are from the University of Arizona Professor Emeritus Ludwig W Adamec's collection, who has provided multiple important titles for digitization. He has written and edited numerous books, including the monumental Historical and political gazetteer of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Kalanay Yearbook is from the University of Arizona Libraries' collection.

News

  • Aug 2017, Prof. M. Mobin Shorish collection is fully available online
  • Dec 2016, 17,000 titles (1,400,000 pages) are available.
  • Sep 2016, Prof. M. Mobin Shorish Collection was donated by Ms. Yasmeen Shorish
  • Dec 2015, 15,000 titles (1,200,000 pages) are available
  • April 2015, Newspapers were scanned and are available.
  • November 2014, 11,000 titles (900,000 pages)
  • April 2014, The repository system has upgraded to DSpace 4.1
  • January 2014, Yan Han and Atifa Rawan trained ACKU staff in Kabul.
  • September 2013, 5,500 titles (600,000 pages)
  • March 2013, 3,400 titles (460,000 pages). The repository System has been upgraded to DSpace 3.1.
  • 2012, 2,200 titles (300,000 pages). NEH grant project ended.
  • 2011, 1,500 titles (200,000 pages) in DSpace 1.8.