The Library has the objectives of maintaining within its premises a library of books and periodicals in all languages, concerning Ethiopian Studies; and, to form and maintain within its premises a collection of manuscripts, in particular those of antiquity, or of special historical or linguistic interest.

The Library has four sections to accommodate its collections and render Library services:

• Publications written in Ethiopian Languages.
• The largest collection of the Library with publications in a number of foreign languages, of which English, Italian, French and German account for the most.
• About 3000 bound, and over 500 current periodicals mainly in Amharic and English.
• A vast collection of manuscripts, clandestine literature, private letters, correspondences, rare books, microfilms, photographs, and archival records.

This is a new research center inaugurated in 1996. It is essentially a center of public archives vital as source materials for researchers.

The site of the new Welde Meskel Research Center, is near the Menilik Palace, the Old Gibi, facing the St Gabriel Church. The site, which currently houses the Center, is a bestowal of His Excellency Blatten Geta Mahiteme-Selassie Weld-Mesqel to the IES. It covers an area of about 6000 square meters on the grounds of which stand buildings that are now adapted for further expansion, appropriately, as a site for developing guesthouses for researchers. Blatten Geta Mahiteme-Selassie donated the buildings and property to the IES 27 years ago (on March 27, 1970) to be used as a center promoting Ethiopian Studies, and to be named after his late father, Tsehafe Tizaz Welde-Meskel Tariku, a noted statesman since the times of Emperor Menilik II, and the original owner of the property. The IES commenced salvaging a large number of archives that were being disposed of by many public agencies after the 1974 revolution, and now owns a large collection of archives on land, estates, other properties, litigation, etc.