IFLA Centre for Arabic Speaking Libraries and Information Institutions at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Abstract

The Centre for Arabic Speaking Libraries and Information Institutions of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, hosted by the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Egypt, began its activities in October 2007. The article sets out the Centre's aims and outlines the activities undertaken to achieve them. An important aspect of the Centre's work is the translation of IFLA documents and conference papers into Arabic and assisting with the provision of simultaneous interpretation. In October 2008 a conference ‘The role of libraries in freedom of expression, tolerance and access to information’ was held at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The Centre's website supports the Centre's aim of encouraging the participation of librarians from the Arab world in global developments, offering a resource that any Arab librarian seeking information about the library and information profession can use. All these activities reinforce the Bibliotheca Alexandrina's role in the region as a centre of excellence in the dissemination of knowledge and as a place of dialogue, learning and understanding between cultures and peoples.