JEDDAH, 28 September 2005 — Culture and Information Minister Iyad Madani yesterday announced his ministry’s plans to establish a number of public libraries all over the country and said the libraries would be for the benefit of all groups in society.
Speaking to reporters after opening a seminar entitled, “Public Libraries in the Kingdom: Present Challenges and Future Prospects,” Madani said public libraries would be made more accessible to women than before.
Saudis and expatriates have welcomed the government’s plan to establish more libraries across the country as they could use their spare time more profitably in reading for both entertainment and education.
There are only a few libraries in the Kingdom and most of them are linked to universities and colleges. Saudi writers and intellectuals have repeatedly urged the government to open more libraries.
One Western expatriate said it was a good move and that he hoped the libraries would be staffed with trained personnel to assist members of the public. He also suggested that schools include courses informing students of the resources available in libraries as well as how to use them.
Madani spoke about the Culture and Information Ministry’s efforts to improve the standard of libraries in the country, in coordination with the Education Ministry, by supplying them with an adequate number of books and transforming them into recognized cultural institutions.
Earlier addressing the seminar, organized by the Department of Library Science and Information at King Saud University’s Faculty of Literature, Madani emphasized the role of public libraries in spreading knowledge. He estimated the number of public libraries in Saudi Arabia at 80 which is small considering the size of the country.
The Culture and Information Ministry has recently taken over the responsibility for libraries; earlier they fell under the Ministry of Education.
“We hope that we can introduce changes and reforms to these libraries as we know that they are an important part of the cultural scene in every city, town and village. We want to make them a cultural institution with many activities,” Madani told delegates attending the seminar.
Madani said his ministry’s doors are open to hear proposals from academics and other experts on developing libraries. He said the ministry would facilitate clearance of books.
The two-day seminar will include six sessions to discuss 26 research papers. A number of foreign participants from Egypt, Algeria, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates are taking part in the deliberations.
Dr. Abdul Mohsen Al-Dhawyan, undersecretary at King Saud University for higher studies and scientific research, said the seminar would discuss different topics including public libraries within the framework of the national information system and in the light of modern developments.
Dr. Jibril Al-Areeshi, head of the department of library science and information at the university and chairman of the organizing committee, praised the government’s efforts to establish more libraries and promote the exchange of books between libraries in the Kingdom and abroad.
