Bibliotheca Alexandrina
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (Latin, 'Library of Alexandria';[1] Egyptian Arabic: مكتبة الإسكندرية, romanized: Maktabet al-Eskendereyya, pronounced [mækˈtæb(e)t eskendeˈɾejjæ]) (BA) is a major library and cultural center on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in Alexandria, Egypt. It is a commemoration of the Library of Alexandria, once one of the largest libraries worldwide, which was lost in antiquity. The idea of reviving the old library dates back to 1974 when a committee set up by Alexandria University selected a plot of land for its new library. Construction work began in 1995, and after some US$220 million had been spent, the complex was officially inaugurated on 16 October 2002. In 2009, the library received a donation of 500,000 books from the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF). The gift makes the Bibliotheca Alexandrina the sixth-largest Francophone library in the world.[2]
This article is about the modern library in Alexandria. For the ancient library founded by the Ptolemaic dynasty, see Library of Alexandria.Library of Alexandria
16 October 2002
16,322 (2012)
Dr. Ahmed Abdullah Zayed
The library has shelf space for eight million books, with the main reading room covering 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft). The complex also houses a conference center; specialized libraries for maps, multimedia, the blind and visually impaired, young people, and for children; four museums; four art galleries four temporary exhibitions; 15 permanent exhibitions; a planetarium; and a manuscript restoration laboratory.
Building and library features[edit]
The library has shelf space for eight million books,[9] with the main reading room covering 20,000 square metres (220,000 sq ft) on eleven cascading levels. The complex also houses a conference center; specialized libraries for maps, multimedia, the blind and visually impaired, young people, and for children; four museums;[9] four art galleries for temporary exhibitions; 15 permanent exhibitions; a planetarium;[9] and a manuscript restoration laboratory. The library's architecture is equally striking. The main reading room stands beneath a 32-meter-high glass-panelled roof, tilted out toward the sea like a sundial, and measuring some 160 m in diameter. The walls are of gray Aswan granite, carved with characters from 120 scripts.[9]
The collections at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina were donated from all over the world. The Spanish donated documents that detailed their period of Moorish rule. The French also donated, giving the library documents dealing with the building of the Suez Canal.
The BA/IA partnership is built to preserve heritage for future generations and provide universal access to human knowledge. The BA was the site of the first mirror and external backup of the Internet Archive.[10] The Internet Archive donated five million USD to the BA, including:
Management[edit]
Per Presidential Decree No. 76 in 2001, the Bibliotheca Alexandria is managed by a Council of Patrons, a Board of Trustees, and a Director.[34] The founding director was Ismail Serageldin, who served until May 2017. He also was chair of the board of directors for each BA's affiliated research institutes and museums. He was succeeded by current manager Dr. Moustafa El Feqy.[35][36] The Council of Patrons is composed of a number of world leaders from different parts of the world, numbering not less than eight and no more than twenty-four, to be selected by invitation of the President of Egypt, and one of these shall be the Director-General of UNESCO. The Board of Trustees shall be composed of a number of eminent figures of scientific and intellectual standing or international experience, Egyptians and non-Egyptians. They shall number no less than fifteen and no more than thirty; of whom five shall be ex-officio members of the Egyptian Government, namely: the Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research, the Minister of Culture, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Governor of Alexandria and the President of the University of Alexandria.[37]
Post-revolutionary involvement[edit]
While the library was shut down during the 2011 Egyptian revolution, young adults and protesters were seen joining hands in a circle around the building to protect against looters and vandals.[38] Students from neighboring universities make up 80% of Bibliotheca Alexandrina patrons and the library had a reputation as an upholder of intellectual openness, holding conferences on human rights and standing firm against censorship. It was Ismail Serageldin's belief that by promoting tolerance and freedom of expression, the library also contributed to the intellectual climate that led to Mubarak's eventual overthrow.[38]
The Bibliotheca Alexandrina held a variety of symposiums in 2011 in support of the Egyptian community and emphasizing the 2011 Egyptian Revolution, the Egyptian Constitution and Democratic Government in Arab nations. Other topics included in these symposiums were social work, a crucial topic for supporting the revolution, and human development and culture, important for the then present phase of the revolution, as well as geography, economy, Islamic religion, Islamic movements, literature, and geology. All of these events were freely available to the public and most presentations are still available online through the Bibliotheca Alexandria's website. The library also displays a photo gallery of the 25 January 2011 revolution and works to document the movement in various formats.[39]
Criticism[edit]
Criticism of the library comes chiefly from two angles. Many allege that the library is a white elephant, unsustainable for modern Egypt, which serves little more than a vanity project for the Egyptian government. Furthermore, there are fears that censorship would affect the library's collection.[40] In addition, the building's elaborate architecture (which imitates a rising Sun) upset some who believed too much money was being spent on construction rather than the library's actual collection. Due to the lack of available funds, the library had only 500,000 books in 2002, a small number compared to other national libraries (however, in 2010, the library received an additional 500,000 books from the Bibliothèque nationale de France.) It has been estimated that it will take 80 years to fill the library at the current level of funding. The library relies heavily on donations to buy books for its collections.[41]
