Beirut 56th Annual International Arab Book Fair 2012

Arabic Journals from the 18th and 19th century

A sample of my Lebanese Stamp Collection

 

 

http://lebanesestamps.weebly.com/references.htmlhttp://lebanesestamps.weebly.com

The National Library in Lebanon

The National Library was founded in 1921, and ever since 1975, it has been subject to sabotage and looting. The remnants of its staff, as well as that of Arab and world book collections and periodicals, were dispersed, knowing that there are around 150 thousand documents and 3000 manuscripts remaining today. In 1999, the Culture Ministry launched a project to revive the library and restore the ancient collections and documents. During the past two years, an inventory of 115 thousand books was conducted, where they were cleaned and restored. Today, they are being classified and indexed. In the coming months, they will be moved to their headquarters in an antique building,which was occupied previously by the Lebanese University 's Faculty of Law in Beirut (facing Sanaye3 garden).

For more information visit The Lebanese National Library

The first Arabic printing press in Lebanon

Location: St. John monastry- El Khinchara
Year of foundation: 1734
Founder: Al-Shamas Abdullah Zakher

First printed book: Mizan el Zaman

The first press made by Al Zakher

The founder El Zakher





Choueir 1898

(Special thanks to Mr.Riad khuneisser for the photos)

Lebanese Library Association

When I was asking my classmates in the MLIS program a couple of months ago if they were attending the LLA annual conference, I was surprised they did not know what I was talking about. Not “the conference” but the “LLA”. The answers I got back then were “What is LLA?”, “What does it do?”…etc.

To me it was somehow shocking at first, but then, I realized that not only graduate people know nothing about the association but also librarians working in the field. This is due to many factors.

The Lebanese Library Association has been established in 1960. Its mission “is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and enhancement of the library and information sector to in turn provide quality services to the Lebanese community”.

The LLA board is elected every year by LLA members (around 250 members this year). This committee is responsible of the marketing, preparing programs, activities, workshops, conferences…etc.

Although they are only ten part time volunteers, they did a pretty good job last May, when they organized the first Lebanese Library Association annual conference. The latter attracted many local and international librarians in the Arab world: Iraq, Iran, Syria, and Palestine, Egypt… Speakers were Lebanese, Americans, Egyptians and Iranian sharing their experiences.

I think that the Lebanese Library Association is a good place to connect with others in the field and to be aware of what is happening around us. We need to realize its importance and to collaborate with it to achieve continuous development. 

Hello World!!!

On this blog you will find news about what is happening in the field especially in Lebanon: in Academic Libraries, Public libraries, School Libraries, Governmental libraries, Lebanese information centers, in the Lebanese Library Association (LLA), publishing houses..etc. Enjoy it!!!