The Valletta Campus Library is one of the University of Malta Library branches located at the Old University building in Valletta, today known as the Valletta Campus. Here, one can discover a rich collection of anthropological and social science works thanks to two special collections donated by renowned anthropologists. While one was donated by Prof. Sir Jack Goody, an English social anthropologist, and his wife Dr Esther Newcomb Goody, a social anthropologist, the other was donated by Prof. Jeremy Boissevain, a Dutch anthropologist. The library also houses a small collection of Maltese books that Mr Ino Cordina donated in 2018. Interestingly, these books formed part of Cordina’s Emporium stock, an outlet in Valletta which was family owned. Additionally, it is the pride of this library to house the Rev. Prof. Peter Serracino Inglott collection. This large collection incorporates countless subjects and topics, of which religious, theological, philosophical, and political prevail. Drawings donated to the University of Malta are also housed here, including works by Richard England, Joseph Chetcuti, Josef Kalleya, Madeleine Gera and others. Furthermore, there is the collection of books by or concerning Richard England. A Reference and a General collection catering to full-time courses taught at the Valletta Campus are also available. Nonetheless, the latter also contains publications about Malta and its history.
Here ample seating is available and access to online resources is also available. Besides, librarians are always available to assist. Needless to say, a visit to this library is always worth the interest and time.
The Prof. Sir Jack Goody special collection is housed at the Valletta Campus Library in Valletta.
This prodigious collection of anthropological and social science works comprises more than 4860 items and it was donated by Prof. Sir Jack Goody (1919–2015), a renowned English social anthropologist, and his wife Dr Esther Newcomb Goody (1932-2018) who was also a social anthropologist. A myriad of topics vis-à-vis various cultures globally, such as Malta, Italy, Scotland, Germany, Greece, Jerusalem, Russia, Syria, Nigeria, India, Ghana, Japan, Tibet, Guinea, and China are incorporated. The topic of religion is vast, and apart from general information, knowledge about Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judaism, and Biblical law is also conveyed. This, with information on religious beliefs across places like America, Britain, Northern Ireland and Japan. Books on paganism, superstition, symbology, mythology and cosmology are also interesting. Besides, one cannot but appreciate the available choice of works on the philosophy of language, literacy, writing systems, the history of civilisation, folklore, ethnography, archaeology, and art, including ancient art. On top of that, one may learn about sociological theories, social structure, human intelligence, interaction and behaviour, and cross-cultural understanding. Tribal life and that of other communities, including Russian peasants, is also considered. Furthermore, the opportunity is given to indulge in publications on psychology, family studies, with ample content about marriage, gender studies, gastronomy, trade, migration, geographical mobility, political and cultural history, social economy, historical studies, and agricultural and industrial development. Studies on villages and towns worldwide, including Maltese ones and travellers’ accounts are other compelling aspects of this informational gem, which is conveyed in diverse sources like biographies, bibliographies, journal issues and catalogues. As per language, whilst the collection is mainly in English, other languages such as Maltese, French, German and Italian are also present.
The collection of Prof. Jeremy Boissevain (1928-2015), an esteemed Dutch anthropologist, consists of more than 1200 items. This collection is rich in social anthropology and focuses on numerous topics, like social mobility, sociology of friendship, race and civilisation, social classes, tourism, political organisation, culture, social structure, and social organisation. The knowledge conveyed extends to more subjects including, symbolic anthropology, urbanisation, ethnography, social theories, socio-economic matters, migration, history, and gender. Furthermore, several works focus on anthropological approaches towards religion and the sociology of religion, with ample information on the concept of secularisation. What is further of interest is that the content within this collection tackles different societies, from peasant to rural, as well as tribal and urban. Various communities from across world regions including Asia, Europe, Africa, North America and others are considered. Hence, the collection concentrates on a myriad of countries including amongst others, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, Egypt, Ireland, Zambia, Mexico, and Canada. One may also indulge in reading about the history of Italy, ancient Rome and Sicily. What also goes noted and appreciated is that besides books, issues from various anthropological journals are available too. Also, whilst the collection is mostly in English and Dutch, others such as Italian, Spanish and French are present too.