The National Association for Armenian Studies and Research (NAASR) is proud to announce that it is a recipient of a Preservation Assistance Grant for Smaller Institutions from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) in support of its efforts to safeguard the important and rare holdings in its Edward and Helen Mardigian Library. The grant will support a general preservation assessment and the purchase of rehousing supplies.

The support from the NEH comes in part from NEH’s “A More Perfect Union” initiative, a multi-year effort to demonstrate and enhance the critical role the humanities play in our nation and support projects that will help Americans commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

Since 1955, NAASR has built an extensive library which includes books, periodicals, archival documents, recordings, and other paper-based and audiovisual materials in multiple languages.

With the growth of its library collection and especially the increasing number of rare books within the library, NAASR will be undertaking a more systematic approach to the preservation of its valuable resources. With the support provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) grant, the Northeast Document Conservation Center (NEDCC) will carry out a general preservation assessment of the Mardigian Library.

About NAASR’s Mardigian Library
NAASR’s Edward and Helen Mardigian Library at NAASR, one of the largest publicly accessible Armenian libraries outside of Armenia, consists of more than 31,000 books as well as periodicals, archival documents, recordings, and other paper-based and audiovisual materials in multiple languages, dating as far back as the 1600s.

Over the decades, NAASR and its library have become a major research and educational institution on Armenian and related topics for scholars, university and high school students, and the general public. The Mardigian Library’s online catalogue is accessible through NAASR’s website (www.naasr.org) and is used by researchers around the world.

The collection encompasses a broad range of topics, including history, literature, art, architecture, linguistics, poetry, as well as law, anthropology, cooking, and natural sciences. The library is named in honor of the late Edward and Helen Mardigian in recognition of their decades of generous support of NAASR and its initiatives to advance Armenian Studies, and the continued support of the Mardigian family.

Those interested in donating materials to NAASR’s Mardigian Library or learning more about the library should contact Marc Mamigonian, Director of Academic Affairs, or Ani Babaian, Library Curator, at hq@naasr.org.