GB 0097 IAI - International African Institute

Identity area

Reference code

GB 0097 IAI

Title

International African Institute

Date(s)

  • 1925-1990s (Creation)

Level of description

Extent and medium

c300 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

Biographical history

The IAI was founded in 1926 as the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures. It is governed by a council representing a balance between African and non African countries. The IAI's principle aim is "to promote the education of the public in the study of Africa and its languages and cultures". Its activities range from supporting seminars and other means of disseminating knowledge within and about Africa, to a range of publications, which include an international journal, monographs by distinguished authorities on African society and edited volumes. In recent years the Institute has extended its activities to encourage projects concerned with stimulating scholarship within Africa.

Archival history

GB 0097 IAI 1925-1990s Collection (fonds) c300 boxes International African Institute
The IAI was founded in 1926 as the International Institute of African Languages and Cultures. It is governed by a council representing a balance between African and non African countries. The IAI's principle aim is "to promote the education of the public in the study of Africa and its languages and cultures". Its activities range from supporting seminars and other means of disseminating knowledge within and about Africa, to a range of publications, which include an international journal, monographs by distinguished authorities on African society and edited volumes. In recent years the Institute has extended its activities to encourage projects concerned with stimulating scholarship within Africa.

Minutes of the Executive Council and other committees; accounts; central memoranda and correspondence; projects and reports on subjects including the Ethnographic Survey of Africa, Industrialisation, Pan African Exchange, Food Supply in Gambia, West African Museums and Somali Refugees; papers concerning seminars; research works submitted to the IAI for consideration, some smaller research projects, and Nigerian intelligence reports, some of which touch on Cameroon; proofs and correspondence relating to IAI publications; printed publications; material relating to other organisations such as UNESCO, the Ford Foundation, and the United Nations Organisation; and general correspondence.

There have been two significant further deposits by the IAI: Archives of the IAI, and recent correspondence files,1970-1980 (148 boxes) were given in 1992; papers of the International African Institute, including Carol Priestley's day files and files on IAI, 1990-1997 (13 boxes) were given in 1998.

This collection is arranged in 42 sections:
Minutes: 1. Executive Council, 1924-1989; 2. Bureau, 1931-1950; 3. Officers', 1971-1986; 4. Publications Committee, 1926-1981; 5. Business Committee, 1926-1981; 6. General.

Accounts: 7. Accounts, 1927-1986.

Memoranda: 8. Central memoranda/correspondence, 1925-1945; 9. Central memoranda/correspondence, 1947-1969; 10. Central memoranda/correspondence, 1970-1981; 11. Central memoranda/correspondence, 1980-1988; 12. Directors' material (Daryll Forde, David Dalby, I M Lewis), 1960-1986; 13. General and publications memoranda, 1934-1987.

  1. Registers of members, 1927-1980.
  2. Photographs, 1930 -1980,

    Projects/Reports: 16. Ethnographic Survey of Africa, 1944-1978; 17. Industrialisation Material, 1950-1955; 18. Pan African Exchange, 1976-1979; 19. Food Supply in Gambia, 1980-1982; 20. West African Museums Project, 1982-1986; 21. Somali Refugees Project, 1981-1988; 22. IAI: other reports, 1964-1986.

    Seminars: 23. Seminars, 1952-1990.

    Research: 24. Research, 1946-1990; 25. Nigerian Intelligence Reports, 1910-1956.

    Publications: 26. Proofs, etc., 1940-1980; 27. Correspondence on Africa, 1970-1976; 28. Correspondence on African Abstracts, 1954-1974; 29. Correspondence on African Languages, 1974-1979; 30. Correspondence on the IAI Bulletin, 1974-1980; 31. Printed publications and press cuttings, 1926-1989.

    Other Organisations: 32. UNESCO, 1948-1973; 33. UNESCO memoranda/correspondence, 1948-1949; 34. United Nations Organisation, 1948-1977; 35. Ford Foundation, 1926-1985; 36. Other Organisations, 1945-1985.

    Correspondence, 1927-1991: 37. A-C; 38. D-G; 39. H-L; 40. M-P; 41. Q-S; 42. T-Z.

Mainly open; some items closed

COPYRIGHT IS HELD BY THE DONOR.
English

Detailed catalogue available from Archives staff

Output from CAIRS using template 14 and checked by hand on March 27, 2002; updated Apr 2008 27 Mar 2002; revised 7 May 2002 and Apr 2008 Africa Anthropology Dalby , Terry David Pereira , b 1933 , linguist East Africa Ethnology Food resources Food supply Forde , Daryll , 1902-1973 , anthropologist Ford Foundation Gambia Industrial development Industrial economics Industrialization International African Institute Lewis , Ioan Myrddin , b 1930 , anthropologist Migrants Museums Natural resources Nigeria Refugees Somalia UNESCO , United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UN , United Nations x United Nations West Africa

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Minutes of the Executive Council and other committees; accounts; central memoranda and correspondence; projects and reports on subjects including the Ethnographic Survey of Africa, Industrialisation, Pan African Exchange, Food Supply in Gambia, West African Museums and Somali Refugees; papers concerning seminars; research works submitted to the IAI for consideration, some smaller research projects, and Nigerian intelligence reports, some of which touch on Cameroon; proofs and correspondence relating to IAI publications; printed publications; material relating to other organisations such as UNESCO, the Ford Foundation, and the United Nations Organisation; and general correspondence.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

There have been two significant further deposits by the IAI: Archives of the IAI, and recent correspondence files,1970-1980 (148 boxes) were given in 1992; papers of the International African Institute, including Carol Priestley's day files and files on IAI, 1990-1997 (13 boxes) were given in 1998.

System of arrangement

This collection is arranged in 42 sections:
Minutes: 1. Executive Council, 1924-1989; 2. Bureau, 1931-1950; 3. Officers', 1971-1986; 4. Publications Committee, 1926-1981; 5. Business Committee, 1926-1981; 6. General.

Accounts: 7. Accounts, 1927-1986.

Memoranda: 8. Central memoranda/correspondence, 1925-1945; 9. Central memoranda/correspondence, 1947-1969; 10. Central memoranda/correspondence, 1970-1981; 11. Central memoranda/correspondence, 1980-1988; 12. Directors' material (Daryll Forde, David Dalby, I M Lewis), 1960-1986; 13. General and publications memoranda, 1934-1987.

  1. Registers of members, 1927-1980.
  2. Photographs, 1930 -1980,

    Projects/Reports: 16. Ethnographic Survey of Africa, 1944-1978; 17. Industrialisation Material, 1950-1955; 18. Pan African Exchange, 1976-1979; 19. Food Supply in Gambia, 1980-1982; 20. West African Museums Project, 1982-1986; 21. Somali Refugees Project, 1981-1988; 22. IAI: other reports, 1964-1986.

    Seminars: 23. Seminars, 1952-1990.

    Research: 24. Research, 1946-1990; 25. Nigerian Intelligence Reports, 1910-1956.

    Publications: 26. Proofs, etc., 1940-1980; 27. Correspondence on Africa, 1970-1976; 28. Correspondence on African Abstracts, 1954-1974; 29. Correspondence on African Languages, 1974-1979; 30. Correspondence on the IAI Bulletin, 1974-1980; 31. Printed publications and press cuttings, 1926-1989.

    Other Organisations: 32. UNESCO, 1948-1973; 33. UNESCO memoranda/correspondence, 1948-1949; 34. United Nations Organisation, 1948-1977; 35. Ford Foundation, 1926-1985; 36. Other Organisations, 1945-1985.

    Correspondence, 1927-1991: 37. A-C; 38. D-G; 39. H-L; 40. M-P; 41. Q-S; 42. T-Z.

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Mainly open; some items closed

Conditions governing reproduction

COPYRIGHT IS HELD BY THE DONOR.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

  • Latin

Language and script notes

English

Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Detailed catalogue available from Archives staff

Allied materials area

Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

Related units of description

Related descriptions

Publication note

Notes area

Note

Alternative identifier(s)

Access points

Place access points

Name access points

Genre access points

Description control area

Description identifier

Institution identifier

British Library of Political and Economic Science

Rules and/or conventions used

Status

Level of detail

Dates of creation revision deletion

Language(s)

  • English

Script(s)

    Sources

    Accession area