This directory serves as a comprehensive reference tool designed to locate specialized collections of materials pertaining to Asia and North Africa within libraries and institutions. The author, Robert Lewis Collison, utilizes his extensive background in library science and bibliography to organize disparate institutional holdings into a singular, accessible index. The work provides a structured framework for researchers, scholars, and librarians to identify where specific regional archives and rare collections are housed.

The subject matter points to a dense, specialist text intended for professional librarians and academic researchers requiring precise location data for regional studies. The framing suggests a highly functional, utilitarian resource that prioritizes clarity and breadth of coverage over narrative prose.