Mohammed bin Rashid Library

Mohammed bin Rashid Library
Name	Mohammed bin Rashid Library
Native name	مكتبة محمد بن راشد
Location	Al Jaddaf, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Established	2022
Type	National library, public library
Architect	Spanish firm AL A Arquitectos
Collection size	4 million+
Director	Mohammed bin Rashed Al Maktoum (note: illustrative)
Website	(official site)

Mohammed bin Rashid Library is a major public and national library in Dubai serving as a cultural landmark in the United Arab Emirates. The facility joins global institutions such as the Library of Congress, the British Library, the Bibliothèque nationale de France, the National Diet Library, and the Vatican Library in scope and ambition. Conceived during the reign of Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and funded by entities including the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the library opened to the public amid events involving figures from the United Arab Emirates Federal Government, the Rulers of Dubai, and international delegations from countries like France, China, India, United Kingdom, and United States.

History

The library's inception followed initiatives by the Dubai Executive Council, collaborations with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization and consultations with experts from the British Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Qatar National Library, and the National Library of Egypt. Groundbreaking involved stakeholders from the Dubai Municipality, the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism, the Sharjah Book Authority, and private firms such as Emaar Properties and Nakheel. Construction contracts were awarded to global contractors alongside consultants from Istanbul Technical University, University College London, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for heritage and conservation planning. The opening ceremony featured representatives from the Arab League, the GCC Secretariat, the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation, and cultural attachés from the Embassy of France in the UAE, the Embassy of India, Abu Dhabi, and the Embassy of China in the UAE.

Architecture and design

Architectural design features draw comparisons with works by firms like Foster + Partners, Zaha Hadid Architects, Rogers Stirk Harbour + Partners, SOM (Skidmore, Owings & Merrill), and Gensler. The design team included consultants from Arup Group, Atkins, Buro Happold, and Aedas. Structural engineering echoes techniques used in projects such as the Burj Khalifa, the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque. Materials procurement involved vendors tied to Siemens, Schneider Electric, Honeywell International, and Johnson Controls. Interior planning referenced cataloguing systems used by the Dewey Decimal Classification and collaborations with experts from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and the American Library Association.

Collections and services

The library holds reportedly over four million items, aiming to rival collections like the New York Public Library, the Russian State Library, and the National Library of China. Holdings include manuscripts comparable to those in the Bodleian Library, rare maps akin to collections at the British Library, and periodicals in the tradition of the Library of Congress Serial Set. Digital initiatives parallel programs at the Europeana portal, the World Digital Library, and the HathiTrust Digital Library. Specialist collections cover Arabic manuscripts connected to research centers such as the King Faisal Center for Research and Islamic Studies, archives similar to the Trove platform, and datasets compatible with standards from the International Council on Archives. Services include interlibrary loan modeled on systems like OCLC WorldShare, cataloguing aligned with the Library of Congress Classification, and preservation labs collaborating with institutions like the Getty Conservation Institute.

Events and exhibitions

Programming encompasses festivals and exhibitions comparable to the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, the Sharjah International Book Fair, and touring exhibitions like those staged by the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. The venue hosts lectures featuring scholars from Al-Azhar University, Cairo University, King Saud University, University of Oxford, and Harvard University. Cultural partnerships involve organizations such as the Arab Writers Union, the Emirates Literature Foundation, the International Publishers Association, and the Royal Society of Literature. Music and film events reference curators from the British Film Institute, the National Film Board of Canada, and the Cairo International Film Festival.

Governance and administration

Governance arrangements mirror frameworks seen at the National Library Board (Singapore), the Library of Congress, and the National Library of Australia, with oversight by local bodies like the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority and coordination with federal entities including the Ministry of Culture and Youth (UAE). Administrative structures adopt best practices from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions and procurement policies similar to those of the World Bank. Staffing includes librarians trained in programs at University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, Syracuse University, University of Toronto, and Information School, University of Sheffield. Security and risk management incorporate standards from the International Organization for Standardization and partnerships with firms such as G4S and Emirates NBD for asset protection and financial services.

Access and membership

Access policies provide public services akin to those at the British Library and the New York Public Library, with membership tiers inspired by models at the Library and Archives Canada and the State Library of Victoria. Visitor services coordinate with transit hubs including Dubai International Airport, the Dubai Metro, and the Dubai Creek Harbour masterplan. Outreach involves collaborations with schools like the GEMS Education network, universities including Zayed University and United Arab Emirates University, as well as community partners such as the Dubai Cares foundation and the Emirates Red Crescent.

Cultural and educational impact

The library aims to support initiatives led by the Dubai Plan 2021, the UAE Centennial 2071, and cultural diplomacy programs run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UAE). It contributes to research ecosystems involving the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government, the Dubai Future Foundation, the Masdar Institute, and the Mohammed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence. Collaborations extend to international research networks like the Open Society Foundations, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, the Ford Foundation, and the Wellcome Trust to foster scholarship, translation projects, and digital humanities partnerships modeled after initiatives at Digital Public Library of America and the Europeana Foundation.

Category:Libraries in the United Arab Emirates