A four-member delegation from the Embassy of Spain in the UAE and The Islamic Library (AECID) in Madrid visited the Sharjah Public Library (SPL), a subsidiary of Sharjah Book Authority (SBA), on November 26, to discuss ways of working collaboratively in a bid to reach new audiences, and share and conserve resources.

Luisa Mª Mora Villarejo, Head of the Islamic Library (AECID) in Madrid, visited SPL with a delegation from the Embassy of Spain in UAE comprising Jaime Iglesias Sánchez-Cervera, Deputy Head of Mission/Political & Cultural Affairs; Esraa El Sayed Saad, Advisor in the Cultural Section; and Paula López Monje, Collaborator.

The visit enabled AECID and SPL to highlight their respective best practices and expertise, and to identify ways of sharing resources to enable each other to expand their services to a larger number of users.

AECID’s Library was formed over the years through the combination of two major collections: that of the Hispanic Library and the Islamic Library. Together, the two collections total more than 700,000 volumes in books, journals, audio materials and electronic resources. SPL, on the other hand, boasts a collection of more than half a million books in multiple languages and fields including science, humanities, art and literature.

Eman Bushulaibi, Director of SPL, said, “Given the ongoing change in user needs and demands, and the constant evolution of digital technologies, the way library users consume information has undergone a rapid change in recent years. To keep up with this pace of change, partnerships with other libraries become crucial to offer services that are relevant, timely and efficient”.

“Our discussions with AECID for mutual collaboration and provision of efficient services will open up new possibilities and pave the way to support the cultural vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, to offer especially the young generation access to comprehensive and trusted sources of knowledge to assist in their journey of learning and success,” she added.