Research Tools / **Online Collections** # **Online Collections** ##### Selected Baha'i archives, digital collections, online reference materials, and research tools. Inclusion does not imply endorsement; users should note possible sans-guardian or sectarian bias. Many books in our [[Bibliography]] are available online for reading or download. [↓ PDF](https://leland-jensen-info.netlify.app/online-collections-leland-jensen-archive.pdf/) *** ## **A** **Archive Today** Internet research tool that saves whole websites based on URL and archived date. Very useful. This website has been archived on Archive Today. Also see **Internet Archive**. https://archive.ph/ *** ## **B** **Baha'i Library Online** Easily one of the best resources for Baha'i research online containing many items not found elsewhere. The downside of the site is it's ability for you to be able to actually find anything. The Google search set up for the site is a first stop but fails with content locked away inside PDFs and other document formats. Users are encouraged to use the [Site Map](https://bahai-library.com/sitemap) or to [browse by tags](https://bahai-library.com/tags). The collection has a constant stream of [new documents](https://bahai-library.com/new) from various sources and the site is not affiliated with any Baha'i organization and is purely voluntary. Despite being a resource of accumulated documents over the years content can also be removed, so be cautious on expecting your unexpected finds to be there upon your next visit. A possible solution is that the entire site [is downloadable](https://bahai-library.com/blo_offline) for offline reading and research and users are encouraged to do so! https://bahai-library.com/ *** **Bahai9** Sans-guardian reference wiki site — publicly editable, written, and maintained by users — organized by topic with a reliable search tool linking to snippets of source material with citations. See *Note on Linked Baha'i Sites* under *Baha'i Works.* https://bahai9.com/ *** **Baha'i Reference Library** The Baha'i writings — the Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha, plus Shoghi Effendi — are searchable and [downloadable in multiple formats](https://www.bahai.org/library/). The search tool for the writings in this collection is one of the best. Contents reflects the current approved translations and volumes per the sans-guardian Universal House of Justice based organization. Earlier and alternate translations and titles can be found elsewhere. https://www.bahai.org/library/ *** **Baha'i Text** Site designed specifically for mobile reading of the Baha'i writings. Sans-guardian focus, mostly up to date. Dated design works well on mobile. http://bahaitext.info/default.htm *** **Baha'i Works** A collection of Baha'i books, periodicals, and pamphlets, readable and searchable online. Some recently published titles in the collection are searchable but with some restrictions on reading due to copyright laws. Notable are the complete online collections of [Star of the West](https://bahai.works/Star_of_the_West) (1910–1935), [Baha'i News](https://bahai.works/Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99%C3%AD_News) (1924–1990), and [The Baha'i World](https://bahai.works/Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99%C3%AD_World) (Vols. 1–35) containing authoritative tablets and letters of 'Abdu'l-Baha and Shoghi Effendi, some of which have not been published elsewhere. Both are searchable and readable online with PDF download options. The search tool works well and the results, when appropriate, will link to items on Bahai9. (*See Bahai9.*) The Baha'i Works site search tool allows for an experimental AI Chat option, based on your search results, incorporating ChatGPT. https://bahai.works/Main_Page <hr style="width:40%; margin:3em auto; border:1px solid #ccc;"> **Note on Linked Baha'i Sites** ***Baha'i Works*** ([bahai.works](https://bahai.works/Main_Page)) is a part of a group of Baha'i sites that are cross linked together which includes ***Bahai 9*** ([bahai9.com](https://bahai9.com/wiki/Main_Page), listed above), ***Bahaipedia*** ([bahaipedia.org](https://bahaipedia.org/Main_Page)), ***Baha'i Data*** ([bahaidata.org](https://bahaidata.org/Bahaidata:Main_Page)), ***Bahai Media*** ([bahai.media](https://bahai.media/Main_Page)), and ***Baha'i Quest*** ([bahai.quest](https://bahai.quest/Main_Page)). A search on one site may include results across one or more of these sites. The two listed as a part of this resource are the most useful in our experience. We've also discovered errors in the publicly authored *Bahaipedia* wiki. Check multiple resources. *** **Bible.com** Easiest way to quickly look up bible verses online and to compare translations and see them in parallel. Completely free with no ads. Also available as an Android and iOS app. Registration allows for saving verses to revisit. https://www.bible.com/ *** **Bible Gateway** Ad supported free site with search and filtering features slightly different than *Bible.com*. Worthy as a secondary resource for biblical research. Untested Android and iOS app. https://www.biblegateway.com/ *** ## **C** **Covenant Library** Regularly updated (2024) online document library written in basic HTML, but with useful content. Page numbering and footnotes maintained for easy citation and lookup. Cross linking of works when available. The huge linked [Unified Index](https://d9263461.github.io/cl/CLUI/UnifiedIndex.html#S%C3%ADy%C3%A1h-Ch%C3%A1l,dungeonof) and [Glossary](https://d9263461.github.io/cl/CLUG/UnifiedGlossary.html) are notable. All four volumes of Adib Taherzadeh's ***The Revelation of Baha'u'llah*** are available to read online — [1](https://d9263461.github.io/cl/Baha'i/Others/ROB/V1/Cover.html), [2](https://d9263461.github.io/cl/Baha'i/Others/ROB/V2/Cover.html), [3](https://d9263461.github.io/cl/Baha'i/Others/ROB/V3/Cover.html), [4](https://d9263461.github.io/cl/Baha'i/Others/ROB/V4/Cover.html). Something not seen on other sides that allow you to search, but not read, the handy reference volumes. https://d9263461.github.io/cl/index.html?home=H *** `F` ## **G** **Frederick Glaysher: Baha'i Censorship** Early 1998 internet site, updated in 2018 — listed here without thorough review only as a possible source for information not found elsewhere — the site maintains it's early internet look which can be a navigation challenge. Glaysher is a member of [Reform Baha'i](https://reformbahai.org/index.html), a pre-administration centric — aka, New History Foundation, Ruth White, Ahmad Sohrab, and others, who believed that the Will and Testament of 'Abdu'l-Baha was a forgery — self-defined sect of Baha'is. A former member of the sans-guardian Baha'is, the site documents many controversies with that organization, with arguments, documents, and books for their beliefs. Ahmad Sohrab had been 'Abdu'l-Baha's secretary and many of his titles can be found [here](https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/SohrabEx.htm) for download. A notable site entry; [False Statistics for Baha'i Membership in the USA, India, and Elsewhere (2010).](https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/FalseStats.htm) A thorough review of the site may reveal other pages of interest. Available as a [download](https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/details.htm). https://fglaysher.com/bahaicensorship/ *** **Google Books** A very handy tool to search, find, and reference books. It's not a library level example of properly included and organized titles — there are missing books and misfiled titles — but the accuracy is mostly good depending on what you're looking for. Search can also locate words inside scanned titles, which is very handy, but not all of the books are search scanable. Links are provided to find the book in a library or for purchase. Registration allows you to save titles to revisit. Citation exporting is also available. https://books.google.com/ <hr style="width:40%; margin:3em auto; border:1px solid #ccc;"> **'Abdu'l-Baha's *Some Answered Questions* in Google Books** Notable in the Google Books collection you'll find the original 1908 edition of 'Abdu'l-Baha's *Some Answered Questions* which has been scanned, searchable, and can be read online. Early editions of Baha'i books have different translations than subsequent editions that, on occasion, are changed to address particular theological opinions. This 1908 edition was published while 'Abdu'l-Baha was alive, the translation was approved by him, and was read by English speaking Baha'is everywhere including those English speaking pilgrims lucky enough to meet with 'Abdu'l-Baha on pilgrimage. Use this version as your base edition to compare with more recent translations. [Search and read](https://books.google.com/books?id=_YtAAAAAIAAJ&newbks=0&source=gbs_navlinks_s) the first edition of *Some Answered Questions*. *** **Project Gutenberg** Free public domain books in multiple formats for downloading. This is a good source for building your offline local document collection of the writings and other Baha'i books. Many we've seen here aren't listed elsewhere as being in the public domain or downloadable. Categories for search results aren't refined so your results may include things you wouldn't expect or that are incorrect. For Baha'i books search with "Bahai Faith". Download formats include EPUB, Kindle, PDF, HTML, plain text, and others. https://www.gutenberg.org/ *** ## **H** **H-Bahai** The Michigan State University, Humanities and Social Sciences Department, Baha'i collection "online". Research site of primary and secondary Baha'i materials started in 1995 with a slowing pace of additions, but page updates can be seen to the present (fall 2025). This resource contains items not found elsewhere which continues to make it a valuable resource despite its dated appearance. The collection features current and out-of-print [books](https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/docs/books.htm), [Arabic and Persian texts](https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/index/diglib/arapub.htm), [articles](https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/index/diglib/mss.htm), papers, pilgrims notes, and [periodicals](https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/index/diglib/periodicals.htm) and other items. [Baha'u'llah's Writings in Arabic and Persian](https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/bahatext.htm), non-authoritative [translations](https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/trans.htm) and materials not suitable for non-academic Baha'i sites (Ruth White, Ahmad Sohrab, Ibrahim George Kheirella, and Charles Mason Remey) can also be found. Despite it's claim to make available "diverse bibliographical research" material — which it does to some limited extent — reports of deletions of titles, as well as individual pages from downloadable titles, have occurred. Non sans-guardian Baha'i material may be better represented elsewhere. The 1997 [Resource Guide for the Scholarly Study of the Baha'i Faith](https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/rg/rg.toc.html) is historically interesting and may still be of use despite the authors affiliation with the sans-guardian Baha'i National Center in Wilmette (Robert Stockman) and Baha'i Library Online (Jonah Winters). One of the listed collection editors, Sen McGlinn, has his own blog which occasionally has some interesting information and historical commentary. *See site listing below.* *Note: Some pages have been deleted and navigation may send you to a dead end which may require you to back out of and continue on from where you were previously, or to open all links in a new window. Also, the server can be slow with pages not loading on the first try, or longer than expected, but the site is usually worth the time.* https://www.h-net.org/~bahai/ *** **Holy-Writings** Multi-lingual religious text search tool. Baha'i writings are well represented and might possibly be the best tool despite it's unglamorous presentation. Search results allow for reading or download. Highly recommended. https://holy-writings.com/ *** **Hurqalya Publications** University of California at Merced, School of Social Sciences and Humanities, faculty member site for Stephen Lambden, supporting religious study, research and publishing. Many source Persian and Arabic documents, summaries, comments, and provisional translations. All pages apparently "in progress" with dates from 1990's to present, but still of value, just unpublished. Multi-lingual focus, sans-guardian affiliation, student support for his classes. https://hurqalya.ucmerced.edu/ *** ## **I** **Internet Archive Wayback Machine** Internet research tool that saves whole websites based on URL and archived date. Very useful. This website has been archived on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine. Also see **Archive Today**. https://archive.org/ *** `N` ## **O** **Ocean 2.0 Interfaith Reader** Ocean is a religious text search tool that has major works from most of the world faiths including Baha'i. It's both a website and an app for Android, iOS, PC, and Mac. Unlike most other search tools you can make a single search across multiple selected faiths at the same time. Some books for certain faiths are not fully online but can give your results as a starting point. Not all Baha'i search results are the from "the Writings" — The Bab, Baha'u'llah, and 'Abdu'l-Baha — so there are non-authoritative results mixed in. Please keep this in mind. Registration is free and allows you to save favorites. https://oceanlibrary.com/ *** **Ocean of Lights** Searchable Baha'i Writings site in English/Arabic/Persian with DOCX/PDF downloads and audio playback in browser. Some handy tools including a Tablet Catalog with notes, and links. Good for onscreen reading and research. https://oceanoflights.org/ *** **Online Books Page** The site maintains an index of books available to read online. Begun by the University of Pennsylvania in 1993 it has several pages featuring available works by Baha'i authors as well as author and title search tools. Indexed pages may not be current. - [The Bab](https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/B%26aacute%3bb%2c%20%27Ali%20Muhammad%20Shirazi) - [Baha'u'llah](https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/Bah%26aacute%3b%27u%27ll%26aacute%3bh%2c%201817%2d1892) - ['Abdu'l-Baha](https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/%27Abdu%27l%2dBah%26aacute%3b%2c%201844%2d1921) - [Shoghi Effendi](https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/Shoghi%2c%20Effendi) - also Baha'i authors, [Nabil Zarandi](https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/Nab%26imacr%3bl%20Zarand%26imacr%3b%2c%201831%2d1892), [J.E. Esslemont](https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/Esslemont%2c%20J.%20E.%20%28John%20Ebenezer%29%2c%201874%2d1925), and [Isabel Fraser Chamberlain](https://onlinebooks.library.upenn.edu/webbin/who/Chamberlain%2c%20Isabel%20Fraser) https://digital.library.upenn.edu/books/ *** `P – R` ## **S** **Sen McGlinn's Blog** Listed as an editor on the H-Bahai site (*see listing above*), a published Baha'i provisional translator/researcher who was removed from the sans-guardian Baha'is — though still maintaining their beliefs — living in New Zealand, the blog is full of potentially useful research and commentary. Use the site search to locate relevant content. https://senmcglinn.wordpress.com/ *** **Scribd** Documents uploaded by users of Scribd will show up occasionally in Baha'i search results so we can't ignore this source, though we're hesitant to recommend it. It's not curated or reviewed, so it's a bit of a mess. All documents shared by users are available to read online and/or download. https://www.scribd.com *** ## **T** **True Seeker** A part of the online digital library [Ibiblio](https://www.ibiblio.org/catalog/items/browse) at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, True Seeker is an early internet era sans-guardian site of Baha'i writings. Included you'll find the Abdullah Yusuf Ali translation of [The Holy Qur'an](https://www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/Texts/EN/Holy_Quran/). A valued resource for online reading and the translation cited by Dr. Leland Jensen. *Please see the [[Bibliography]] for original print edition information and other online options.* https://www.ibiblio.org/Bahai/TrueSeeker/ *** `U – Z` ‎ *** **Reference Information** - **Permanent Link:** https://leland-jensen.info/research-tools/online-collections/ - **Download PDF:** [online-collections-leland-jensen-archive.pdf](https://leland-jensen-info.netlify.app/online-collections-leland-jensen-archive.pdf/) - **Archive Home:** https://leland-jensen.info - **Last Updated:** 31 March 2026 - **Revision Notes:** Moved from Resources to Research Tools. *** [Site Guide](site%20guide.md)&nbsp; | &nbsp; [Sitemap](sitemap.md)&nbsp; | &nbsp; [Downloads](downloads.md)&nbsp; | &nbsp;[Contact Us](contact%20us.md) **Dr. Leland Jensen**: Teachings and Commentaries Archive © 2026 Baha'i Council of Dane County, all rights reserved. &nbsp;[Copyright & Usage Policy](copyright.md) ***