Library

Photo: Peter Pulkowski

 

Janheinz Jahn, on whose private collection the holdings of the Jahn Library are based, not only collected literary works by writers from Africa but also by black writers from Europe, North America, the Caribbean, South America, and Oceania. These areas of the collection are no longer systematically continued .

Today, the focus of the collection lies on African literatures. Following in Jahn's footsteps, the Jahn Library collects literary works across linguistic boundaries, e.g. creative writing in all languages used by African writers. Languages include the former colonial languages and world languages as well as many African languages.

For historical and institutional reasons, North African and Arabic literature are not collected by the Jahn Library.

The holdings of the Jahn Library can be searched through the university library's online catalogue.

Shelf marks in the Jahn Library

JA Bibliographies

JB Encyclopedias

JC Anthologies

JC1 General anthologies

JC2 African anthologies

JC3 African American and Caribbean anthologies

JC4 Oceanic anthologies

JE General critical sources

JE1 General critical sources

JE2 General critical sources on African literatures

JE3 General critical sources on African American and Caribbean literatures

JE4 General critical sources on Oceanic literature

JF West Africa

JF1 General critical sources on West African literature

JF2 West African anthologies

JF3 Critical sources on individual West African writers

JF4 Literary works by individual West African writers

Creative writing in West African languages has the shelf mark 'JF' followed by a specific language code, e.g., JF YOR for creative writing in Yorùbá, relevant critical sources and translations from and into the Yorùbá language:

JF YOR1 General critical sources on Yorùbá literature
JF YOR2 Yorùbá anthologies
JF YOR3 Critical sources on individual Yorùbá writers
JF YOR4 Literary works by individual Yorùbá writers
JF YOR5 Translations of literary works by individual writers from the Yorùbá
JF YOR6 Translations of literary works by individual writers into Yorùbá

JG Central Africa

JG1 General critical sources on Central African literature

JG2 Central African anthologies

JG3 Critical sources on individual Central African writers

JG4 Literary works by individual Central African writers

Creative writing in Central African languages has the shelf mark 'JG' followed by a specific language code, e.g., JG KON for creative writing in Kongo/Kikongo, relevant critical sources and translations of literary works from the Kongo or into Kongo:

JG KON1 General critical sources on Kongo literature
JG KON2 Kongo anthologies
JG KON3 Critical sources on individual Kongo writers
JG KON4 Literary works by individual Kongo writers
JG KON5 Translations of literary works by individual writers from the Kongo
JG KON6 Translations of literary works by individual writers into Kongo

JH East Africa

JH1 General critical sources on East African literature

JH2 East African anthologies

JH3 Critical sources on individual East African writers

JH4 Literary works by individual East African writers

Creative writing in East African languages has the shelf mark 'JH' followed by a specific language code, e.g., JH SWA for creative writing in Swahili/Kiswahili, relevant critical sources and translations of literary works from the Swahili or into Swahili:

JH SWA1 General critical sources on Swahili literature
JH SWA2 Swahili anthologies
JH SWA3 Critical sources on individual Swahili writers
JH SWA4 Literary works by individual Swahili writers
JH SWA5 Translations of literary works by individual writers from the Swahili
JH SWA6 Translations of literary works by individual writers into Swhahili

JK South Africa

JK1 General critical sources on South African literature

JK2 South African anthologies

JK3 Critical sources on individual South African writers

JK4 Literary works by individual South African writers

Creative writing in South African languages has the shelf mark 'JK' followed by a specific language code, e.g., JK ZUL for creative writing in Zulu, relevant critical sources and translations of literary works from the Zulu or into Zulu:

JK ZUL1 General critical sources on Zulu literature
JK ZUL2 Zulu anthologies
JK ZUL3 Critical sources on individual Zulu writers
JK ZUL4 Literary works by individual Zulu writers
JK ZUL5 Translations of literary works by individual writers from the Yorùbá
JK ZUL6 Translations of literary works by individual writers into Zulu

JL African American Literature

JL1 General critical sources on African African literature

JL2 African American anthologies

JL3 Critical sources on individual African American writers

JL4 Literary works by individual African African writers

JM Caribbean Literature

JM1 General critical sources on Caribbean literature

JM2 Caribbean anthologies

JM3 Critical sources on individual Caribbean writers

JM4 Literary works by individual Caribbean writers

JN South American Literature

JN1 General critical sources on South American literature

JN2 South American anthologies

JN3 Critical sources on individual South American writers

JN4 Literary works by individual South American writers

JO Oceanic Literature

JO1 General critical sources on Oceanic literature

JO2 Oceanic anthologies

JO3 Critical sources on individual Oceanic African writers

JO4 Literary works by individual Oceanic writers

JZ Journals