This guide covers digital libraries where texts and images of material related to Sri Lanka can be viewed online on open-access. Each entry contains a general description of the library and its holdings. Some descriptions include embedded hyperlinks to facilitate the use of websites that can be challenging to navigate. Additionally, a list of keywords is included for each site so users can quickly locate and compare sources in their desired subject area. Readers can click on a keyword and get a list of all the entries with that keyword. However, the library descriptions and keyword indexes are not meant to be exhaustive, and further exploration of the sites is encouraged.
The term “library” is used in its widest sense, with a variety of collections beyond printed texts, including archival fonds, artwork, archeological artifacts, photography, film, and virtual museums.
Some digital libraries covered in this guide also serve as bibliographical resources. For instance, the research depositories of both Sri Lankan and foreign universities include
not only links to full-text materials, but also many links that provide only abstracts. However, this guide excludes websites that are primarily bibliographical. The AISLS website has a separate page for bibliographical resources for Sri Lanka.
AISLS has a separate guide on Locating Photographs of Colonial Ceylon. That guide covers both print and digital collections.
Within the guide, users will find digitization projects that have been sponsored by AISLS and AILS. For more information on these projects and the goals of our digitization program, see our Digitization page.
Ancient Buddhist Sites and Royal Residences in Sri Lanka
British Library Endangered Archives Programme (EAP)
Jaffna Protestant Digital Archive
Malay Manuscripts from Sri Lanka
Jaffna Bishop’s House Manuscripts
Sri Lankan Tamil Palm-Leaf Manuscripts
British Library Sinhalese Manuscripts Pilot Digitisation Project
Cornell University Library eCommons
Department of Government Information
Depicting the Sri Lankan Vernacular
Digital Public Library of America
Dissidents and Activists in Sri Lanka, 1960s to 1990s
The Dutch Burgher Union of Ceylon
Embilipitiya Disappeared Schoolchildren’s Parents’ Organisation (EDSCPO) Fonds
Furniture and Decorative Arts of Sri Lanka (FDASL)
GRETIL: Göttingen Register of Electronic Texts in Indian Languages
Guardian of the Flame Sri Lanka Manuscript Collection
International Foundation for Buddhist Communication (IFBC)
Michael Roberts Oral History Project
Ministry of Defence Digital Library
Museum of Memory and Coexistence
National Digital Library & Repository
Noolaham Multimedia Archive – Aavanaham
- Sociology & Anthropology
- History
- Education
- Ethnic Relations
- Development Studies
- Politics
- Art History
- Tamil
Research Center for Material Culture
Royal Asiatic Society Online Collections
Shodhganga: A Reservoir of Indian Theses
South Asian American Digital Archive
- Ethnic Relations
- Diaspora Studies
- Gender
- Human Rights
- History
- International Relations
Sri Lanka Tipitaka Project Library
Sri Lankan University Digital Repositories
Open University of Sri Lanka Repository
Rajarata University Digital Repository
Sabaragamuwa University Repository
South Eastern University of Sri Lanka e-Repository
University of Colombo e-Repository
University of Jaffna e-Repository
- Science & Medicine
- Development Studies
- Agriculture
- Social Sciences
- Economics
- Ethnic Relations
- Education
- Humanities
- Linguistics & Language
- Film
University of Kelaniya Digital Repository
University of Moratuwa Digital Library
University of Peradeniya Digital Library
- Social Sciences
- Humanities
- Education
- History
- Agriculture
- Development Studies
- Environmental Studies
- Science & Medicine
University of Sri Jayewardenepura Digital Repository
University of Vavuniya Digital Research Repository
South Asia Open Archives (SAOA)
University of Washington Libraries
