Documentation of Extinct Arabic Manuscripts in Timbuktu-Style Libraries of Katsina: A Descriptive Study

Northern Nigeria's rich tradition of Arabic manuscript production and collection, dating from the eleventh century onwards, represents a significant but increasingly endangered dimension of the region's intellectual heritage. This study documents Arabic manuscripts held in private family libraries in Katsina town modelled on the Timbuktu library tradition, focusing on the identification, physical description, and thematic classification of texts at risk of deterioration or loss. Using a descriptive archival methodology, the research surveys eleven private libraries in Katsina's historic quarters, cataloguing manuscripts by subject, script style, approximate date of composition, physical condition, and preservation status. Structured interviews with twelve library custodians and four Islamic scholars provide contextual information on the provenance, scholarly use, and community significance of the collections. The study identifies 340 unique manuscript items across the surveyed libraries, spanning the fields of tafsir, fiqh, nahw, tasawwuf, history, and medicine, with approximately 28 percent assessed as being in critical condition. The research advocates for a coordinated federal and state government digitisation programme, community heritage education, and partnerships with international Islamic manuscript preservation institutions. Keywords: Arabic manuscripts, Katsina, manuscript documentation, Islamic heritage, manuscript preservation.