Sharjah: The Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) has opened doors for major Arab libraries and cultural institutions to enhance cooperation and forge partnerships with their international counterparts at the recently-concluded American Library Association Annual Conference & Exhibition.
The world’s largest library event, held between June 23-28 in Washington D.C. this year, was a meeting point for librarians, educators, authors, publishers, trustees, exhibitors, and special guests from around the world to engage and discuss the latest trends, legislations and policies that are impacting the ongoing transformation of libraries.
SBA chairman Ahmed Rakkad Al Ameri met with Dr. Carla Hayden, president of the American Library of Congress, to discuss cooperation opportunities and build on the strengths of Sharjah’s position as a renowned knowledge city and its conscious efforts in activating the role of libraries to achieve inclusive sustainable development, and the global status of the American Library of Congress as the home of more than 170 million items containing more than 39 million catalogued books and other printed materials in 470 languages.
Sharjah International Library Conference
SBA also met with the organisers of the exhibition to discuss the 9th edition of the Sharjah International Library Conference, held annually in collaboration with the American Library Association (ALA) and which will be organised on the sidelines of the 41st edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair (SIBF) in November this year.
The SBA pavilion at the ALA exhibition witnessed a remarkable turnout of publishers, cultural entities, and guests who showed keen interest in the works of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah.
The SBA delegation also met with American and international publishers to explore cooperation opportunities in translation from English and French to Arabic and vice versa, in addition to discussing the participation of American publishers in the upcoming edition of SIBF.
Boosting constructive communication
Al Ameri said: “SBA’s participation in international events aligns with the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to bolster constructive and fruitful communication with cultural entities in the region and across the world. The ruler of Sharjah has always emphasised the central role libraries play in any inclusive cultural project and believes in the intrinsic value of libraries as sustainable sources of knowledge and in creating the building blocks of human development.”
Mansour Al Hassani, head of sales department at SBA, added: “At the ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, we successfully showcased the novelties of libraries and the advantages the emirate provides to the publishing sector and the library ecosystem.”
