Brief History
The PSU Library began with the inception of Prince Sultan College in 1999 with 180 students and about 20 teachers. In the beginning the library housed 540 English titles as well as 470 Arabic titles. From then, the Library has acquired over 15,000 titles in both English and Arabic. The emphasis has naturally been on those disciplines in which PSU specializes; namely Computer and Information Systems and Management. Titles of periodicals such as ISR (Information Systems Research), Journal of Business, Journal of Marketing Research, etc., also reflect this trend.
PSU Library, however, follows a “broad-spectrum” acquisition policy. The Preparatory Year Program in English, (which also has a Library Reading Room facility supporting graded texts) Math, Computer Science and Physical Education are important constituents of PSU’s academic programs, so they, too, are well represented on the PSU Library collections and in the selection of periodicals.
More general interests are catered for by selected monographs and references, besides local newspapers in both Arabic and English, and by foreign serials.
Internet access is granted to all registered students via the Library’s 22 computer terminals and wi-fi hotspots.
At present, under the direction of Prof. Fouad Farsuni, the PSU Central Library and College for Women Branch Library is home to more than 27,000 volumes of English and Arabic materials. The Library aims to become fully automated and to provide students with more advanced access to specialized electronic journals and databases. Implementation of the SirsiDynix Symphony Automated Library System, and RFID Security System are among the major projects being developed currently.