Sharjah rebuilds iconic African library damaged in fire
sharjah — Sharjah completed the restoration and renovation of one of the most beloved libraries in Conakry, Guinea, which was destroyed in a horrific fire in 2012, damaged over 10,000 of the nation’s richest publication and literature.
The Djibril Tamsir Niane Library was renovated with the generous support of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan Bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
The announcement came during Sharjah’s grand participation as the Special Guest City for this year’s Paris Book Fair (Salon du Livre).
Among the fire-damaged works and books were those of Professor Djibril Tamsir Niane, a world-leading author and one of Africa’s most admired scholars. Sharjah specifically took up the full restoration of his work, including its complete digitalisation and the printed works that once stood on the shelves of the destroyed library.
Its partial destruction was a significant blow to the research and cultural environment of the country,
Rebuilding a library is like restoring life to a generation. For Conakry, we’re honoured to have Sharjah contribute to bringing its memories and literatures back to life.” Sheikha Bodour Al Qasimi, founder-president, Emirates Publishers Association
whose president Alpha Condé himself played a leading role in raising public awareness for its reconstruction.
Guinea is a nation known for leading Africa’s literature, culture and heritage, and the current title holder of Unesco’s World Book Capital 2017.
Sharjah’s involvement contributed to the library’s renovation, plus the restoration of as many of its publications, documents and archives as possible. It will also look into ways at developing a new inventory system to ensure the books’ safety and security in the future, as well as exploring different options for the digitalisation network that will streamline all of its services and books to visitors.
Bodour Al Qasimi, founderpresident of the Emirates Publishers Association (EPA), said: “Rebuilding a library is like restoring life to a generation. Unforgettable memories and stories will always rise from the ashes of burnt books, and for Conakry, we’re honoured to have Sharjah contribute to bringing its memories and literatures back to life. It is moments like these where we celebrate the global role which literature has been playing for many centuries, uniting nations and cultures together to face and address tragedies such as what happened in Conakry.”
Al Qasimi continued: “Investing in literature is a necessity and responsibility bestowed on all of us, and Sharjah firmly believes that books and libraries effectively bring the world cultures together.”
Ian Denison, chief of the UNESCO Publication Unit, said: “Sharjah’s generous donation a very strong gesture of solidarity between peoples, an important step towards building a network of World Book Capitals which will foster exchanges between cities.”
The President of the International Publishers Association, Michiel Kolman, said: “Not only is it excellent to see the rebuilding of such an iconic library, it is also a beautiful example of the current world book capital connecting with a future world book capital.”