Sharjah: The Director of the Sharjah Public Library (SPL), Eman Bushulaibi, has been elected to the Middle East and North Africa Regional Division Committee of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA).
Bushulaibi will work directly with the other Regional Division Committee members to define advocacy priorities and build capacity across the region.
As the director of SPL, Bushulaibi is mandated to oversee the design and implementation of the entity’s strategies. Her primary objective is to position the entity as not only a knowledge destination, but also a unique hub where diverse communities can meet, learn and grow.
Passionate about building and nurturing organisations, Bushulaibi has succeeded in steering SPL to great heights over the past two years. She is credited with having facilitated 50 per cent organisational growth of the entity in just three months.
Other members elected to the 2021-23 IFLA Mena Regional Division Committee include: Younis Al Shawabkeh (Jordan); Faiza Albayati (Iraq); Saif Aljabri (Oman); Imad Bachir (Lebanon); Heba Ismail (Egypt); and Abeer Kuwari (Qatar).
Background
The Sharjah Public Library was established as a private library in 1925 by Sheikh Sultan bin Saqr Al Qasimi under the name, Al Qasimiyah Library. Its location has since changed several times, from Al Husn (Sharjah Fort) in Bait Al Gharbi, under the Mudeef Building, to Sharjah City Municipality, then to Africa Hall, to Sharjah Cultural Centre and Sharjah University City. In May 2011, His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, inaugurated the current building at the Cultural Palace Square under the title ‘Sharjah Public Library’. The new facility contains approximately half a million books in multiple languages, spanning numerous fields, including science, humanities, art and literature.
IFLA is the global voice of the library and information profession and also represents the interests of library users. IFLA’s Regional Division Committees play a vital role in ensuring that the entity’s work responds to the needs of the library sector. They provide a space to learn and define regional action plans and allow for a stronger regional representation within IFLA.
