School of Oriental Studies , Library

The School of Oriental Studies (later the School of Oriental and African Studies) was founded as part of the University of London to address inadequacy of teaching in Asian languages in London - hitherto dispersed among various colleges of London University and other institutions - and to cater for the study of Asian history, geography, culture, law and literature, as well as including a library. It opened in 1917, occupying premises in Finsbury Circus formerly occupied by the London Institution (which had amalgamated with the Society of Arts in 1906). Its library received substantial collections of books transferred from other London institutions.