Integrating Information Technologies with the Humanistic Study of Religion and Urban Civil Society in the Middle East

Arthur Kiron

Contemporary scholars of the modern Middle East (since the 19th century) continue to seek ways to look beyond the artificial boundaries of nationality and fathom the complex and intimate character of inter-religious group relations in urban settings. At the same time, the academic study of Christian, Islamic and Jewish communities often has been and at times continues to be compartmentalized. The University of Pennsylvania Library, in conjunction with the University's School of Arts and Sciences, is beginning a new initiative to support teaching and researching religion and urban civil society in the Middle East. This initiative features three inter-related components: a web interface that provides integrated access to resources about Christians, Jews and Muslims in urban settings; funding to acquire contemporary, multimedia information resources urgently needed for undergraduate teaching and research; digitization, for the sake of access and conservation, to unique primary source rare documents.