Access rare books in London from Sharjah library
sharjah — For the first time in the GCC, the Sharjah Public Library will provide digital access to thousands of rare books and periodicals on Arabic and Islamic culture, which are at the British Library in London.
The British Library, the world’s second largest library, lists 15,000 Arabic books and manuscripts spanning the 15th to 19th centuries — the most important collection of its kind in Europe and North America. The collection includes rare editions of the Holy Quran, poetry and prose and works by great Arab and Muslim scientists such as Ibn Al Haytham, Al Razi, Al Farabi and Ibn Al Nafis, among the millions of digital pages.
Sara Al Marzouqi, manager of Sharjah Public Library, said: “We are delighted to offer the new service to our visitors, especially so soon after Sharjah was declared the World Book Capital 2019. This will provide a much wider platform for us to showcase the magnitude of Arabic and Islamic culture through the wealth of books and manuscripts at the British Library that many readers, researchers and students will be able to explore for the first time.”
Al Marzouqi stressed that the initiative will play a pivotal role in enriching scientific research and cultural activities while providing valuable historic insights. “Before this project, those who wanted access to the material needed to travel to London to explore the wealth of books at the British Library. This will save them time, effort and money, and enable them to search and print the books, periodicals and articles in Sharjah,” she added.
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