Bus Library to Bring Loads of Books
to Abu Dhabi

First tried out during the Al Ain Book Fair last October, the mobile library was so successful that the organisers, Kitab, a joint venture of Abu Dhabi Authority for Culture and Heritage (ADACH) and Frankfurt Book Fair, decided to send the bus library on a tour of Abu Dhabi emirate.

“It was a really wonderful experience in Al Ain. It attracted a lot of children, since we started the mobile library with mostly children books,” Jumaa Al Qubaisi, director of both Kitab and National Library, told Khaleej Times.

In Abu Dhabi city, too, the mobile library will focus on children’s books, with titles in both Arabic and English, although there will be books for adults as well.

“In Al Ain we had books published by ADACH, but also given by the Swiss and German embassies, but in Abu Dhabi all titles will be from ADACH,” added Al Qubaisi.

For now, children and adults alike will be able to read the books wherever the bus is stationed, but in the future arrangements to lend the titles for a longer period of time will be made.

The first stop of the bus here will be on November 16 at the Khalifa Children Garden, followed by the Cultural Foundation on November 18 and at the Marina Mall on November 19. The timings will be 5pm-8pm.

During the day, the mobile library will visit five schools during its week-long stay in the capital.

“In December the bus will arrive in Al Gharbia, stopping in Madinat Zayed and other remote areas, where people have no access to libraries,” said Al Qubaisi, adding that from next year the Kitab bus will become a more permanent mobile library.

silvia@khaleejtimes.com