SCILET is basically a Research Library, holding more than ten thousand volumes related to Indian Literature in English. Many of these are books of creative literature--novels, poetry, dramas, essays--written by almost a thousand resident and expatriate Indians. Much of the library is also devoted to critical and biographical studies of these writers, as well as anthologies and histories of Indian literature, bibliographies and other reference works. Recognising that at least half the new Indian writers in English are women, SCILET has devoted one section of its library to Gender Studies, with special attention to the condition and activities of women in India.

SCILET subscribes to about 65 periodicals, many of them published internationally, that are related to the new literatures in English. The library holds most back issues of most of these journals.

The SCILET library is basically open-access, and many of its members use its library in person during the week day hours of 9.00 AM to 5.00 PM. Other SCILET members prefer to rely on our distance services, utilizing our print-out bibliographies of library material relevant to their areas of research, and indicating in those bibliographies items of which they need to receive photocopies. In this way the SCILET library serves, wherever legally permissible, research scholars and students in all sections of India, and in a growing number of overseas countries.