The role of Al Qasimi inaugurates new cultural cooperation bridges between Sharjah and Paris

Paris, May 24 / WAM / Sheikha visited the role of Bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Sharjah Book Authority, yesterday, the headquarters of the “Richelio” library of the French National Library (BNF), one of the oldest research centers in Europe, where she met a number of library officials, to discuss the prospects for cooperation and joint work in a number of cultural and professional axes, which reflects Sharjah’s commitment to enhance its cognitive partnerships with The most prominent global intellectual institutions.

During the meeting, the two sides agreed to open new sustainable bridges of joint cultural work by developing joint programs in the fields of manuscripts, cultural holdings and child literature, as well as organizing the “Sharjah Literary Days” event in Paris, to be a periodic platform for cultural exchange and literary dialogue between Sharjah and Paris.

In a move that reflects the vision of Sharjah towards the appreciation of international cultural institutions, Sheikha Baddur Al Qasimi presented copies of the historical lexicon of the Arabic language to the old and modern French National Library in appreciation of its pioneering role in preserving the written heritage and celebrating the integration of efforts in supporting the Arabic language at the global level.

Sheikha Badour Al Qasimi was accompanied during the visit, His Excellency Ahmed bin Rakad Al -Amiri, CEO of the Authority, and a delegation from the Sharjah Book Authority, where he was received, Mr. Jill Beko, Director General of the French National Library, Mrs. Mary de Lobby, Director of Groups, and Mr. Jean -Francois Roso, Director of International Relations, where they accompanied the Sheikha Badour Al Qasimi and the accompanying delegation on a tour of the corridors of the “Richelio Center” They reviewed its most prominent research facilities, rare groups, memorization mechanisms and digitization approved in the preservation of documents and manuscripts, in addition to the advanced services provided by the library for researchers and scholars from all over the world.

Sheikha Badour Al Qasimi stressed that cooperation with the French National Library is a qualitative step in the Sharjah path to build firm cultural partnerships with international knowledge institutions.

She said: “We believe in Sharjah that libraries are not centers for preserving books, but live spaces for civilized interaction and episodes of human memory and the future, and from here we are keen to develop quality projects that contribute to expanding the presence of Arab culture in the global scene and the consolidation of the Sharjah site as a living bridge between East and West.”

Sheikha Badour Al Qasimi added: (The historical lexicon of the Arabic language) is a message of civilized dialogue in our language and giving it to the French National Library is an open invitation to communicate between civilizations through its language and knowledge, we value the pioneering role of this ancient institution in preserving the written heritage, and we believe that the integration of our efforts will open new horizons in areas that affect the essence of the cultural identity of man.

The two sides agreed on a series of major axes, most notably the organization of joint digital and field exhibitions that include lamps from manuscripts and rare documents from the holdings of the French National Library for display in Sharjah and holdings and manuscripts from Sharjah to display in Paris, allowing the public to see a rich and diverse human heritage and enhance bridges of exchange between Arab and French cultures through the book of the book and the historical document.

They also agreed to cooperate in the field of child literature and the development of reading in the mother tongue of new generations through the development of specialized programs concerned with intensifying the presence of Emirati and Arab content for children and adolescents in France, as well as enhancing the presence of French children’s literature in Sharjah and the UAE as well as organizing workshops, field events and reciprocal visits.

The agreements included the launch of high -level professional cooperation programs between the Sharjah Public Library and the French National Library, which includes the exchange of experiences and joint work, in a way that supports the development of the infrastructure of libraries, and is pushing towards sustainable knowledge integration between the two institutions.

The French National Library (BNF) is one of the oldest cultural institutions in Europe and the world, as its roots date back to the fourteenth century and formally established in its modern form in 1537 AD, during the reign of King Francois I who issued a decree obligating each publisher to deposit a copy of his books with the library, which made it one of the first libraries that adopted the legal deposit system in history.

Today, the library includes more than 40 million documentaries that vary between books, manuscripts, maps, newspapers, pictures and recordings that cover all branches of knowledge and multiple languages, which makes it a global reference for researchers and scholars and is characterized by its rare groups, especially oriental manuscripts, old books and historical documents that document the development of human thought, and are famous for providing advanced digital research services and attracting their facilities The architectural that mixes Iraq with thousands of visitors and researchers annually.

It is noteworthy that the visit comes within the framework of the authority’s keenness to build strategic cultural partnerships with major international cognitive institutions, in order to support its mission in promoting the book industry and promoting civilized dialogue at the international level.

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