Sharjah: 45 libraries set up at workers camps in emirate

A total of 10 libraries have been set up recently at 10 worker camps in industrial areas across Sharjah by the Labour Standards Development Authority (LSDA).

The books in various languages will help workers enhance their knowledge and language skills, and is part of the ‘Library in every labour camp’ initiative launched by LSDA in cooperation with the ‘Culture without Borders’ initiative in Sharjah. It is part of LSDA’s strategic plan to spread awareness in these camps.

With the new batch, the total number of libraries established by the LSDA in such camps are now 45. These libraries are constantly updated with new titles, and contain books in several languages to cater to the multi-cultural demographic of such camps. LSDA has plans to establish many more such libraries across the emirate.

LSDA chairman Salem Yousef Al Qaseer said they aim to promote a culture of reading among workers, while stating that LSDA will establish more libraries in more workers camps across Sharjah. “In launching such cultural initiatives, LSDA is inspired by the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and his call to integrate workers into the cultural life of Sharjah and to boost the work culture in the emirate."

Al Qaseer thanked Sharjah's "Culture without Borders" for partnering with LSDA in the "private library in every labour camp" initiative, and said that as part of a plan to involve workers in the cultural life of Sharjah, LSDA had coordinated — for the third year in a row — the attendance of large numbers of workers at cultural seminars in their languages at the 41st edition of the Sharjah International Book Fair at the Sharjah Expo Centre.

• Indian, Pakistani, Filipino workers are most in demand, says new study