Sharjah: Dr. Sheikh Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, the Ruler of Sharjah, has allocated AED2.5 million ($ 0.68 million) to purchase new books from participating publishers and booksellers at the 15th annual Sharjah Children’s Reading Festival (SCRF 2024). This initiative aims to update and enhance the Sharjah Public Library’s collection.
The annual grant is awarded to this Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) event to further the Sharjah Ruler’s vision to support the regional and global book industries, continually improve Sharjah’s offerings to readers, students, researchers and academics and general knowledge seekers in the UAE and beyond and affirm the role of libraries in achieving comprehensive and sustainable development of societies.
Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairperson of SBA, said that,“The generous grant from the Ruler of Sharjah not only supports publishers commercially and knowledge seekers in the UAE and Sharjah, educationally, but embodies a profound message. The initiative underlines Sharjah’s belief that the realization of both our present and future goals are dependent on how successfully we are able to foster an appreciation of books, knowledge and learning in our younger generations. The roots of development and our envisioned cultural growth are firmly secured in our libraries.”
“Ensuring that ample sources of learning and intellectual development are easily accessible to all, particularly our children, is fundamental to Sharjah’s developmental vision. Consequently, the emirate launches programs and pours effort into making books available to everyone. These books form the foundation of our dialogues across cultures and civilizations. Year after year, we witness the tangible outcomes of these initiatives in Sharjah – through our developmental projects, a well-informed community, a robust cultural fabric, enduring values, and our ongoing call for everyone to join us in shaping a vibrant present and forging a promising future,” Al Qasimi added.
The grant signifies a fresh effort to enhance both public and private libraries in Sharjah across scientific and literary domains in multiple languages. Adding thousands of new titles each year to library databases reinforces Sharjah’s global standing as a city dedicated to nurturing knowledge-driven societies, advancing research, and revitalizing the literary scene.