6 September 2005
British Embassy's Gift To Iraqi National Library And Archive
On 5 September Dr Saad Eskander, Director General of the Iraqi National Library and Archive was presented microfiche and microfilm of rare Iraqi books and archives by the British Embassy Baghdad in the presence of Maysoon al Dumlaji, Deputy Minister of Culture.
The identification of requirements was carried out by the British Library which has been working with the Iraq National Library and Archive to reconstruct its lost collections. The British Library had previously collated an outline list of relevant items in its collection. With funding from the British Government, copies of key documents have now been reproduced and supplied to Iraq on microfilm/fiche . The British Library has established good links with the Iraqi National Library, which they are continuing to develop for the future.
The British Ambassador, William Patey CMG, said "The gift of these items to the Iraqi National Library by the British Government is a positive gesture from the UK to help Iraq rebuild its cultural heritage, and provide a long lasting educational tool for future generations."
Lynne Brindley, Chief Executive of the British Library, said " We are pleased to be able to assist the Iraq National Library and Archive as part of international efforts to reconstruct its collections. We believe these materials will have long lasting research and educational value for future generations of Iraqi people. We will continue to work closely with the Iraq National Library and Archive and see this initiative as a first step towards building ongoing peer relationships between library professionals in our two institutions".
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