King Abdulaziz Public Library Enhances Global Standing Of Arabic Language And Culture

The King Abdulaziz Public Library in Riyadh serves as a dynamic centre for cultural enrichment, offering a variety of programs and projects. It aims to enhance cultural awareness among all societal segments and promote Arab and Islamic culture worldwide. On UNESCO World Arabic Language Day, observed annually on December 18, this report highlights the library's key cultural programs that elevate the global standing of the Arabic language.

The library significantly contributes to the Arabic language's growth through the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Translation Award. This award acknowledges outstanding translations into and from Arabic, enriching the language with new vocabulary and concepts from various fields. Since its inception, it has added over 30 translated works to the Arabic library, covering diverse knowledge areas.

The King Abdulaziz Public Library actively translates works from international languages into Arabic. This effort bridges cultural gaps by introducing Arab readers to diverse perspectives in science, technology, history, literature, and travel. The translation work spans multiple languages, including English, French, German, Russian, Spanish, and Japanese.

Launched in 2007 by the library, the Arabic Union Catalog is a significant achievement in Arab cultural cooperation. This initiative documents and indexes intellectual output across the Arab world. By connecting 22 Arab countries, it provides access to a vast network of national, academic, and specialized libraries.

The Arabic Union Catalog has 134 member institutions: 114 libraries, 11 publishers, and nine educational departments. It offers researchers easy access to extensive information resources from across the Arab world. Currently housing 3 million records and 137,000 digital library records, it has conducted 425 training courses for over 8,300 participants.

In May 2024, the King Abdulaziz Public Library signed a memorandum of understanding with the King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language. This partnership focuses on enhancing cooperation in building bibliographic databases for Arabic studies and developing digital repositories for Arabic resources.

Children's Department

The children's department at the library plays a crucial role in fostering a love for the Arabic language among young minds. It offers interactive storytelling combining traditional tales with digital media and reading marathons that encourage lifelong reading habits. The collection includes literature on various topics such as stories, history, science, and art.

The library also showcases the aesthetic dimensions of the Arabic language through specialized exhibitions on rare collections. These include historical artefacts like manuscripts, photos, documents, maps, coins, rare books, and copies of the Holy Quran. By providing access to these resources, it preserves and shares the rich heritage of Arabic language and Islamic culture.

The King Abdulaziz Public Library continues to play an essential role in promoting intercultural dialogue through its translation efforts. Its initiatives not only enrich the Arabic language but also foster collaboration across cultures by bridging linguistic divides.

With inputs from SPA