Dubai: Mohammed Bin Rashid Library (MBRL) has launched ‘A World Reads’ initiative, in collaboration with local publishers, special-publication institutions, and a select group of authors and writers, to support and enrich school libraries, government departments, Readers’ clubs, and cafes.
The initiative was announced on March 30 in conjunction with the UAE Reading Month (March).
Dr Mohammed Salem Al Mazrooei, Board Member of the MBRL Foundation, said: “At MBRL, we believe in the importance of providing diverse resources of knowledge to all individuals everywhere to enhance their learning, develop the society, and elevate all its components. Reading is a highly effective way to broaden our knowledge and understanding and sharpen our critical thinking.”
He added: “The ‘A World Reads’ initiative comes in line with our efforts, vision, and strategy to ignite a passion for knowledge among future generations. It will considerably encourage similar community initiatives and volunteers to support such endeavours, while playing a major role in strengthening partnership between donors and local partners to achieve this vision.
Reading and knowledge initiatives are key for individuals to improve their quality of life, enhance their intellectual and learning competencies, and enable them to better communicate and interact with their communities. Therefore, we must support and encourage such initiatives, appreciating their significance as key contributors to building well-educated and developed societies.”
Supporting libraries
Aiming to spread knowledge, encourage reading, and empower schools across the UAE, the ‘A World Reads’ initiative strives to support and enrich school libraries with a valuable and diverse collection of Arabic and English books for children, youth, and adults. It will also provide support for students participating in the Arab Reading Challenge Award, along with enriching and developing library collections in federal and local government departments, as well as private institutions, universities, and colleges.
A unique collection of books in Arabic and English and Braille books will be offered to children, young people, adults, people of determination, and visually impaired who integrated into education and schools. This aims to increase awareness on the importance of reading and its positive impact on personal, educational, and social development. It will also provide a free and easy access to the various resources of knowledge and information available across society.
Call for donations
MBRL calls upon local publishers, relative public institutions and entities with special publications, writers, and other parties to participate in the ‘A World Reads’ initiative, by donating and sharing their unused publications, and books. The library will, in turn, distribute the books collected under the initiative to visiting school students, participants in its various panel discussions and events, as well as school libraries and local institutions. As part of the initiative, MBRL will also provide a service for requesting books on demand for other libraries. To attain the service, institutions and schools can contact the Library via the e-mail: worldreads@mbrl.ae.
