Bibliotheca Alexandrina Research Articles

Challenges in sustaining the million book project, a project supported by the national science foundation

One of the main roles I have played as a director of the Universal Digital Library has been to write grant proposals to support our work. Both for this project and for another project, Olive.org, an archive of executable content, how to sustain the final product is the most difficult challenge. This paper discusses the various models that might be adopted to sustain a large corpus of digital material, such as that of the Million Book Project. Methods discussed here include government funding, foundations and nonprofits, university homes, and joining existing projects. All individuals working with large digital projects should be concerned about how their work will be kept available to the public. Government funding. Many of the partners in this project have benefited liberally from government funding. The Chinese partners have had significant government support through several successive Ministry of Education five-year plans. The Indian government has supported the project with funding for language translation research projects. The Egyptian government funded the creation of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina and continues to contribute to it. In the U.S., the National Science Foundation supported equipment, travel, and meetings. This support has been essential to the creation of this large corpus of material. The governments very wisely invested in bringing educational and cultural resources to a large segment of their constituents. The disadvantage is that, as government budgets tighten, the funding necessary to sustain a project can be lost. One great advantage of government funding is that the government wants to serve the whole public. Beginning this year, in the U.S., the National Science Foundation now requires principal investigators to explain how the data they have collected will be made available to the larger research community and how it will be sustained. In the U.S., the government also wants free-to-read access and at the same time allows creators to charge for enhanced versions. Foundations and other not-for-profit organizations. Foundations, like the government, are excellent sources of support for the initiation of a large digital project. They have the vision to see what could be accomplished by increasing progress in selected disciplines, such as high-energy physics and astrophysics, and broadening the availability of educational resources. JSTOR and ArtStor are two resources initially supported by the A.W. Mellon Foundation. The Qatar Foundation gave funding to create the Qatar Arabic and Islamic Heritage digital collections. Because that collection so actively reflects the country and region’s culture and because the Qatar Foundation is so focused on educational goals, they are more likely than other foundations to sustain it. Other foundations, such as A.W. Mellon, require that sustainability models be explained before they will fund the initial project. Mellon has been particularly focused on the issue of sustainability. Some electronic products and services found in U.S. academic libraries are licensed through consortia and some come from not-for-profit organizations. One of the more popular ones is JSTOR, a database of articles in journals in a wide variety of fields. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE C (Computers & Electronics) ISSN 1869-1951 (Print); ISSN 1869-196X (Online) www.zju.edu.cn/jzus; www.springerlink.com E-mail: jzus@zju.edu.cn

Middle East information literacy awareness and indigenous Arabic content challenges

This article reports on researching “Middle East: Information Literacy awareness and indigenous Arabic World Wide Web content challenges”. The research reported upon was conducted in preparation for a training presentation which was delivered as a part of the UNESCO “Training the Trainers” (TTT) in Information Literacy workshop project that was held November 6–8, 2008 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt. Although the concept of Information Literacy is relatively new worldwide, by now it is fairly well understood, practiced and pedagogically supported in the developed world. But, it is still quite a mystery for developing countries, especially in the Middle East and North Africa regions. Therefore, the presentation the authors were invited to deliver at the workshop aimed at creating a much needed broader awareness concerning the concept of Information Literacy, including the somewhat differing definitions which are used in various world regions and cultures, and the concept’s relevance to the advancement of knowledge, research, and the general level of education in the Arabic speaking world. Special attention was paid to these problems in the context of challenges faced by higher education institutions in the Middle East and North Africa regions.The authors discovered that the problem of the scarcity of indigenous Arabic content materials on the World Wide Web is inextricably related to the challenges of increasing the awareness of Middle East and North Africa audiences to the relevance of Information Literacy. The authors endeavor to explain in detail what this inter-relationship is, and why and how the increase of Arabic materials on the Web could then lead to an increase in the awareness of Information Literacy in those Arabic speaking regions.The workshop presentation aimed at explaining and promoting Information Literacy skills, not only to students and researchers, but also to future Information Literacy trainers (the participants at the UNESCO workshop). The language barrier, the Digital Divide, and the lack of adequate Arabic digital content/resources relating to Information Literacy, were all reviewed with the workshop participants, illustrated by real world case examples, and discussed, in an effort to simultaneously try to work toward a consensus approach to teaching and learning the IL concept, and at the same time create a heightened Information Literacy awareness. Rather than simply amplify in detail the technical contents of the workshop presentations the authors made in this article, and with the encouragement of the Review’s editor and guest editor, the authors decided to “tell their story” in anecdotal fashion, sharing with the workshop participants tales of the many challenges they faced in just preparing materials for their presentations – and covering both the presentation format and the presentation content aspects, including explaining why they selected a specific teaching and learning approach, and how they dealt with various delivery and implementation challenges. By so doing, readers faced with similar teaching challenges might be better prepared to respond to the many challenges, both in the context of the preparations they will be required to make as well as in the context of their actual content delivery at their workshops.

Social networking and Web 2.0 in information literacy

This paper discusses free online and Internet tools that can be adapted by librarians for use with library instruction and information literacy training, with a focus on social media and Web 2.0 technologies, including social networking websites Facebook and Twitter, blogs, RSS, wikis, and video sharing. Many students already use these technologies and are readily engaged with the library when the technologies are incorporated into library websites and classes. There are challenges in using these technologies, especially in countries with oppressive governments. This paper is based, in part, on a presentation the authors gave at the UNESCO Training the Trainers in Information Literacy Workshop at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt in November 2008.

Middle East information literacy awareness and indigenous Arabic content challenges

This article reports on researching “Middle East: Information Literacy awareness and indigenous Arabic World Wide Web content challenges”. The research reported upon was conducted in preparation for a training presentation which was delivered as a part of the UNESCO “Training the Trainers” (TTT) in Information Literacy workshop project that was held November 6–8, 2008 at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt. Although the concept of Information Literacy is relatively new worldwide, by now it is fairly well understood, practiced and pedagogically supported in the developed world. But, it is still quite a mystery for developing countries, especially in the Middle East and North Africa regions. Therefore, the presentation the authors were invited to deliver at the workshop aimed at creating a much needed broader awareness concerning the concept of Information Literacy, including the somewhat differing definitions which are used in various world regions and cultures, and the concept’s relevance to the advancement of knowledge, research, and the general level of education in the Arabic speaking world. Special attention was paid to these problems in the context of challenges faced by higher education institutions in the Middle East and North Africa regions. The authors discovered that the problem of the scarcity of indigenous Arabic content materials on the World Wide Web is inextricably related to the challenges of increasing the awareness of Middle East and North Africa audiences to the relevance of Information Literacy. The authors endeavor to explain in detail what this inter-relationship is, and why and how the increase of Arabic materials on the Web could then lead to an increase in the awareness of Information Literacy in those Arabic speaking regions. The workshop presentation aimed at explaining and promoting Information Literacy skills, not only to students and researchers, but also to future Information Literacy trainers (the participants at the UNESCO workshop). The language barrier, the Digital Divide, and the lack of adequate Arabic digital content/resources relating to Information Literacy, were all reviewed with the workshop participants, illustrated by real world case examples, and discussed, in an effort to simultaneously try to work toward a consensus approach to teaching and learning the IL concept, and at the same time create a heightened Information Literacy awareness. Rather than simply amplify in detail the technical contents of the workshop presentations the authors made in this article, and with the encouragement of the Review’s editor and guest editor, the authors decided to “tell their story” in anecdotal fashion, sharing with the workshop participants tales of the many challenges they faced in just preparing materials for their presentations – and covering both the presentation format and the presentation content aspects, including explaining why they selected a specific teaching and learning approach, and how they dealt with various delivery and implementation challenges. By so doing, readers faced with similar teaching challenges might be better prepared to respond to the many challenges, both in the context of the preparations they will be required to make as well as in the context of their actual content delivery at their workshops.

Social networking and Web 2.0 in information literacy

This paper discusses free online and Internet tools that can be adapted by librarians for use with library instruction and information literacy training, with a focus on social media and Web 2.0 technologies, including social networking websites Facebook and Twitter, blogs, RSS, wikis, and video sharing. Many students already use these technologies and are readily engaged with the library when the technologies are incorporated into library websites and classes. There are challenges in using these technologies, especially in countries with oppressive governments. This paper is based, in part, on a presentation the authors gave at the UNESCO Training the Trainers in Information Literacy Workshop at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in Alexandria, Egypt in November 2008.

Ausland Die Bibliotheca Alexandrina: Eine sich selbst erfindende Bibliothek des Lehrens und Lernens

Since the opening of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina in October 2002, the library has become one of the most important places for learning and research in the Middle East. Signs for the success are the number of media units (appr. 800.000), patrons (appr. 15.000), staff (appr. 2.000), training programmes (about 800 per year) and the quality of international conferences. Despite the high standard of architecture and technical equipment, in this paper problems of the aquisition unit, the standard of eaducation and the information policy in Egypt are discussed.

Report of the UNESCO Training-the-Trainers (TTT) Workshop, Alexandria, Egypt, 4–6 November 2008

When the Bibliotheca Alexandrina organized the UNESCO's “Training-the-Trainers in Information Literacy” workshop, it was the 9th workshop in the program series that was adopted by the Information-F...

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

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.

EDITORIAL: TRANSDISCIPLINARITY, PEOPLE-ENVIRONMENTS, AND DESIGN RESEARCH

This issue marks the beginning of the third year of Archnet-IJAR life. In the first two years, over 85 quality contributions by 70 scholars, academics and practitioners from 27 countries have been published after a rigorous review process followed by leading journals. Due to the high demand on Archnet-IJAR, the issue is divided into three refereed sections in addition to the review and trigger articles section. This issue is thus adding another dimension where many papers from countries not represented before are included to address the transdisciplinary nature of architecture, and people-environments and design research while exhibiting the international dimension of the journal. The first section accommodates 9 papers selected from IAPS 19th – the 19th conference of the International Association for People- Environments Studies, which was held in Bibliotheca Alexandrina in September 2006. The typical norm of the IAPS conferences is that complete papers are submitted for publication after the conference in a post conference book, and they are subjected to a strict review process. The scientific committee of IAPS 19 th selected 31 papers for inclusion in the post conference book. However, due to the limited size constraints mandated by the publisher, 9 papers were not included. Based on discussions of Archnet-IJAR chief editor, the scientific committee of the conference, and IAPS board the nine papers are published in this issue. The second section includes three papers on Traditional Public Baths-Hammam- in the Mediterranean, which represent a continuation of the previous special issue. Thanks to Dr. Fodil Fadli in giving those three papers the opportunity to see the light through an intensive translation and editing process since two of them were originally written in French. While the third section includes five papers submitted and refereed through the typical review process of Archnet-IJAR--offering a wide variety of topics and themes, the review and trigger articles section encompasses four submissions in the form of a review article, symposium abstracts, and book and conference reviews.

Strategic Management Committee (SMC) meeting for NEuroMed

Event Abstract Back to Event Strategic Management Committee (SMC) meeting for NEuroMed Driss Boussaoud1* 1 CNRS -Universite Aix-Marseille, INCM, France Europe and the Mediterranean Partner Countries (MPC) possess a good potential of well-trained researchers in the field of brain function and dysfunction in disease. However, neuroscience remains poorly represented in collaborative projects amongst the Mediterranean and European countries. Yet, as the MPC access to the status of developed economies, they face the severe health burden of brain dysfunction in relation with developmental issues, education, aging, neurodegenerative diseases, mental and addictive disorders. It is thus crucial for the MPC to invest in this theme of research, and it is strategic for the European Union to strengthen it cooperation with South countries to help them become full R&D partners in Neurosciences. In this context, the European Commission has recently funded a Mediterranean Neuroscience Network (N€UROMED) with the aim of supporting MPC research institutions infrastructure and potential development in brain research. The project, built on existing collaborations and local networks, gathers a strong human potential from 23 Universities and research centres from 7 countries (Algeria, Egypt, France, Italy, Morocco, Spain, and Turkey). More precisely, the objectives are to promote and improve: (1) twinning between centres of excellence in the EU and the MPC; (2) recruitment, training and secondments in MPC centres; (3) transfer of knowledge and know-how to the MPC research centres; (4) physical research infrastructure in MPC centres. N€uroMed focuses on four major relevant societal issues: neurodegenerative and mental diseases, neuroplasticity, adaptation to environmental stress and brain imaging, where cooperation with EU research entities can help increase the human potential and physical infrastructure in MPC. N€uroMed will pave the way to the creation of solid links amongst institutions in MPC and Turkey, and to step up Euro-Mediterranean Cooperation in the field of Neurosciences. In parallel to the implementation of specific activities, N€uroMed will also improve the participation of the MPC to the FP7. Finally, the project is expected to have broader impacts on other key EU policies as it contributes to the fulfilment of the neighbourhood policy, as well as the international aspect of the European R&D policy.N€uroMed will last for 36 months (November 2009 to Octobre 2012). The first meeting of the Strategic Management Committee takes place during the 3rd Mediterranean Conference of Neuroscience to adopt the programme and agenda proposed by the workpackage leaders. It will be followed by the kick off meeting in Marseille, January 2010, which will gather all Partners and Associated Partners to launch the work program. One of the strategic actions of the project is to recruit four post-docs. A call will be published in the 1st three months of 2010. The N€uroMed Social (SE01) will take place in the VIP lounge of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina on Sunday, December 13, 2009 at 19h. fig 1 Conference: 3rd Mediterranean Conference of Neuroscience , Alexandria, Egypt, 13 Dec - 16 Dec, 2009. Presentation Type: Oral Presentation Topic: Satellite Events Citation: Boussaoud D (2009). Strategic Management Committee (SMC) meeting for NEuroMed. Front. Neurosci. Conference Abstract: 3rd Mediterranean Conference of Neuroscience . doi: 10.3389/conf.neuro.01.2009.16.188 Copyright: The abstracts in this collection have not been subject to any Frontiers peer review or checks, and are not endorsed by Frontiers. They are made available through the Frontiers publishing platform as a service to conference organizers and presenters. The copyright in the individual abstracts is owned by the author of each abstract or his/her employer unless otherwise stated. Each abstract, as well as the collection of abstracts, are published under a Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 (attribution) licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) and may thus be reproduced, translated, adapted and be the subject of derivative works provided the authors and Frontiers are attributed. For Frontiers’ terms and conditions please see https://www.frontiersin.org/legal/terms-and-conditions. Received: 30 Nov 2009; Published Online: 30 Nov 2009. * Correspondence: Driss Boussaoud, CNRS -Universite Aix-Marseille, INCM, 13331 Marseille, France, driss.boussaoud@gmail.com Login Required This action requires you to be registered with Frontiers and logged in. To register or login click here. Abstract Info Abstract The Authors in Frontiers Driss Boussaoud Google Driss Boussaoud Google Scholar Driss Boussaoud PubMed Driss Boussaoud Related Article in Frontiers Google Scholar PubMed Abstract Close Back to top Javascript is disabled. Please enable Javascript in your browser settings in order to see all the content on this page.

Third conference of the International Society for Arabic P apyrology (ISAP). ‘Documents and the History of the Early Islamic World’ Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), 23-26 March 2006

Third conference of the International Society for Arabic P apyrology (ISAP). ‘Documents and the History of the Early Islamic World’ Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), 23-26 March 2006

Third conference of the International Society for Arabic P apyrology (ISAP). ‘Documents and the History of the Early Islamic World’ Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), 23-26 March 2006

Third conference of the International Society for Arabic P apyrology (ISAP). ‘Documents and the History of the Early Islamic World’ Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), 23-26 March 2006

Third conference of the International Society for Arabic P apyrology (ISAP). ‘Documents and the History of the Early Islamic World’ Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), 23-26 March 2006

Third conference of the International Society for Arabic P apyrology (ISAP). ‘Documents and the History of the Early Islamic World’ Alexandria (Bibliotheca Alexandrina), 23-26 March 2006

The Million Book Project at Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) has been developing and putting to use a workflow for turning printed books into digital books as its contribution to the building of a Universal Digital Library. This workflow is a process consisting of multiple phases, namely, scanning, image processing, OCR, digital archiving, document encoding, and publishing. Over the past couple of years, the BA has defined procedures and special techniques for the scanning, processing, OCR and publishing, especially of Arabic books. This workflow has been automated, allowing the governance of the different phases and making possible the production of 18000 books so far. The BA has also designed and implemented a framework for the encoding of digital books that allows publishing as well as a software system for managing the creation, maintenance, and publishing of the overall digital repository.

The Preservation, Study and Presentation of Manuscripts at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

The Preservation, Study and Presentation of Manuscripts at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Foundation and structural design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Foundation and structural design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Discussion: Foundation and structural design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Discussion: Foundation and structural design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Foundation and structural design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Foundation and structural design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt: Foundation and Structural Design

The Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Alexandria, Egypt, received the Award for being an exciting, modern landmark with a unique foundation system and innovative structural form. Completed in October 2001, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina houses more than 8 million books and although it took twelve years to develop, it was built in strict accordance with its design brief.

Foundation and structural design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina

Nearly 2,300 years ago, a great enterprise was conceived in Alexandria, the ancient Bibliotheca Alexandrina. At the beginning of the third millennium the new Bibliotheca Alexandrina has been built alongside the University of Alexandria overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. The Library is planned as a public library. The design concept, the critical ground conditions and the aggressive saline environment, due to the proximity to the sea, required remarkable foundation and structural works. This paper presents the foundation and structural design of the Bibliotheca Alexandrina. The various elements of the library building are described and the structural design challenges are summarised. The sophisticated geotechnical and structural analyses that were carried out during the design stage are also described.