Our story
Built by Somalis, for Somali knowledge
We are a small team with a clear mission: make academic research accessible to every Somali student, researcher and institution.
Why we built SOMDL
Somalia has hundreds of thousands of students enrolled in universities. Yet access to academic resources — the journals, papers and books that underpin quality education — remains out of reach for most of them. The global academic publishing industry is expensive, and most institutions lack the infrastructure or budget to provide proper library access.
We built SOMDL to change that. By combining a carefully curated local library of Somali research and publications with access to millions of global academic resources, we give Somali students and researchers the same tools that students at top international universities take for granted.
Who we serve
SOMDL serves universities, research centres, individual students and independent researchers across Somalia and the global Somali diaspora. Whether you are studying in Mogadishu, Hargeisa, Garowe or London, SOMDL meets you where you are.
SOMDL makes content available through partnerships with academic publishers and content providers. We are committed to respecting copyright and operating within the boundaries of our content agreements.
Access for all
Knowledge should not be gated by geography or economic circumstance.
Research quality
We surface credible, peer-reviewed academic content — not noise.
Local first
Somali research and publications are first-class citizens in our library.
Privacy
We do not sell your data. Your research habits are your own business.
We are a lean team of developers, librarians and researchers who believe in Somalia's academic potential. Every feature we build is guided by conversations with real students and university staff.