Michael Anthony TolerMassachusetts Institute of Technology | MIT · MIT Libraries
Michael Anthony Toler
Doctor of Philosophy
About
12
Publications
1,594
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6
Citations
Introduction
Michael A Toler is Archnet Digital Librarian in the Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT Libraries. Archnet is an online library on the built environment of Muslim Societies.
Michael researches World Literatures & Literary Theory, Architecture & Society in the Islamic world, Popular Culture in the Maghreb, & Translation Theory.
These days, the bulk of my intellectual work goes into the curation of Archnet. We are always seeking contributions of scholarship, media, etc. See questions for info.
Additional affiliations
August 2018 - May 2021
November 2001 - January 2010
National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education
Position
- Managing Director
Education
September 1996 - June 2005
Publications
Publications (12)
Maghribi novels are literary productions coming from a complex cultural landscape in which multiple languages interact. Unfortunately, few translations of the Maghribi novel, be it from French or Arabic, seem to take these issues into consideration when producing their English language texts. In overlooking these cultural negotiations, the translat...
As a scholar of North Africa and the Middle East, I get very excited about the possibilities internet technologies open up for me and other scholars who are concerned with regions of the globe outside our national borders. The internet brings a wealth of information to my computer on a daily basis. It is true that in the early years of its developm...
An interview with the director of Le Grand Voyage.
Creating online resources to study Arab culture and civilization served as a catalyst for extended collaboration among liberal arts colleges. The article reviews the achievements of the Al-Musharaka Initiative of the National Institute for Technology and Liberal Education (NITLE), from its beginnings in Fall 2001 through most of 2005. Written from...
Prepared for the 2023 annual meeting of the African Studies Association, this handout summarizes the work of the Aga Khan Documentation Center of the MIT Libraries and the contents of Archnet.org with a particular focus on the African continent.
It also contains a call for partner institutions, scholars, photographers, and others to join us in de...
Editorial:Since the origins of human society, communities have dealt with migration issues as established settlements grappled with how to deal with new arrivals. As societies became larger and more complex and human movement became easier, mass migration has become a global issue that correlates with broad and rapid economic, social, political, an...
Trained as an architect, archaeologist, and urban planner, Michel Écochard was both a prominent proponent of Modernist architecture and a conservation architect with a deep appreciation of traditional construction methods and architectural forms. Working in territories where social and economic conditions were quickly changing, Middle East, Africa,...
The library of the Tangier American Legation Institute for Moroccan Studies (TALIM) is a small, highly specialized research library in the old medina of Tangier. Though the library contains specialized, often unique materials on Morocco, the Maghrib, and US-Morocco relations, it has not been well known among academics and researchers, and consequen...
System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Mode of access: World Wide Web. Thesis (Ph. D.)--State University of New York at Binghamton, Department of Comparative Literature, 2005. Dissertation Abstracts International, Electronic text in PDF format. Includes bibliographical references.
Questions
Questions (3)
The Aga Khan Documentation Center, MIT Libraries (AKDC@MIT) seeks scholars across disciplines, architects, photographers, artists, organizations, and other collaborators to enhance and expand Archnet’s Open Access resources on the built environment of Africa, particularly but not exclusively in relation to Muslim communities. Relevant topics include vernacular and formal architecture, urbanism, landscape design, habitat, heritage conservation, the relationship between the built environment and other aspects of culture and society, as well as the interaction between Islamic and other antecedent or contemporaneous cultural traditions. Examples of possible contributions include:
- Visual materials such as photographs, plans, sketches, and diagrams
- Curation of virtual exhibitions
- Review of material to ensure accuracy and scholarly merit
- Contribution of scholarly articles, monographs, data sets, etc.
- Creation/contribution of video or multimedia projects
- Contribution of pedagogical materials such as syllabi, recorded lectures, bibliographies, etc.
We seek non-exclusive rights to make material available for educational and non-profit use. Material may be produced for Archnet or may have already been published elsewhere.
Contact Michael Toler, Archnet Content Manager, mtoler@mit.edu or archnet-submission@mit.edu
This call is also available in Turkish and Arabic: https://www.archnet.org/collections/2618
Even as it continues to rise, the number of fatalities from the horrible earthquake that shook large parts of Turkey and Syria defies comprehension, and the number of those injured and left homeless is many times that number. Many children have lost their families and will need to be provided for. Heartbreaking seems too mild a word!
Addressing this urgent humanitarian need is the first priority, and we urge you to support relief efforts however you can.
Humanitarian aid is and must be the priority, but the horrifying dimensions of the humanitarian disaster are multiplied when we remember that the affected region is extraordinarily rich in cultural heritage sites. Indeed, there are at least nine UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the area impacted by the quake, as well as countless other historic sites.
It will probably be some time before anyone is able to conduct a systematic assessment of damage to historic sites. In the meantime, the Aga Khan Documentation Center at MIT (AKDC@MIT) is accepting reports of damaged or destroyed historic structures in the region and assembling them into an Archnet collection that will serve as a reminder of the long, rich history of the region.
We have launched an appeal for information on historic structures damaged or destroyed in the earthquake, as well as media documenting this destruction. By completing a short form (https://forms.gle/LKHJ94sGW5Rqj2W28), you will help us keep Archnet current, raising awareness of important sites and the perils they face. Please note that there may be a delay before your submission appears in Archnet as we must verify all reports before making them public.
Thank you, in advance, for your assistance.
AKDC@MIT: https://libraries.mit.edu/akdc/
Archnet.org seeks scholars on Mudéjar and Spanish Colonial architecture in Mexico to help contextualize images in our database of 23 sites in Puebla, Michoacán and Tlaxcala States. Contributors may provide original material created for this project, or provide permission to use previously published scholarship. Multimedia contributions are welcome, including recorded lectures, on-site video walk-throughs, and digital renderings. Contact me, the Archnet Content Manager.
Archnet is an Open Access, intellectual resource focused on architecture, urbanism, environmental and landscape design, conservation issues, visual and material cultures, and other topics related to the built environment. With a focus on societies in which Muslims are or have been a significant cultural presence, Archnet’s mission is to provide ready access to quality, unique texts and media that facilitate excellence in teaching, scholarship, and professional work.
There are no fees or registration, and we retain no information about visitors beyond the anonymized statistics collected by Google Analytics.
