Sharjah’s House of Wisdom and the British Library in London engage in a vibrant cultural and knowledge exchange
An official delegation from HoW meets with British Library representatives
to explore opportunities for collaboration and exchange
Sharjah, 14 April 2022
An official delegation from the House of Wisdom (HoW) in Sharjah, visited the British Library earlier this month to explore potential collaborations, exchange best practices and look into ways to boost cultural cooperation and dialogue between the two prestigious institutions.
The HoW Director Marwa Al Aqroubi and delegation was received by Dr Luisa Elena Mengoni, Head of Asian and African Collections, and Daniel Lowe, Curator of Arabic Collections at the British Library.
Highlighting the deeply rooted cultural connections between Sharjah and London as well as the importance of this visit and exchange, Marwa Al Aqroubi, said: “The British Library and HoW are like-minded in our shared pursuit of enriching the lives of current and future generations with literature, art and culture, and offering them a space to deepen their understanding of the diversity that exists in our world. At HoW, part of that myriad offerings to boost people’s learning journeys, is a high-tech library with an inclusive repository of over 400,000 books including digital and Braille”.
She further noted that the visit was a great learning experience for the HoW team, highlighting Sharjah’s “efforts to develop the global cultural landscape by offering a futuristic, innovation-driven hub that supports both intellectual and creative pursuits. Since its opening in 2020 by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, the iconic destination has attracted thousands of visitors from the UAE and around the world.”
Dr Luisa Mengoni, Head of Asian and African Collections at the British Library, said: “We were delighted to welcome to the British Library Ms. Marwa Al Aqroubi and her colleagues from the House of Wisdom last week, and share experiences and practices of our respective institutions. This was an opportunity to initiate a dialogue and explore potential collaborations”.
Developed by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq) in celebration of the emirate’s yearlong tenure as UNESCO World Book Capital 2019, HoW was in the running to win the ninth edition of the London Book Fair’s International Excellence Awards, in the ‘Library of the Year’ category this year.
–ENDS–