Bin Rashid Library

[Krysta Cirilo]

Thedesign of the library is inspired by the shape of a lectern. The main features of this library will be a conference centre, exhibition spaces, a children's library, a bookshop on the ground floor, reading halls, service areas, a business library, and training halls. The basement of the library will be able to accommodate around a thousand cars.

The project took over 6 years to complete at a cost of AED1 billion. [2][3][4] 300,000 to 400,000 volumes will be available in the library's open-access section. The library will have book handling and information systems. The library has been designed by consortium of 'asp' Architekten Stuttgart, Obermeyer Planen+Beraten Munich, and the ACG Architecture Consulting Group. The structural design of the library and its foundation system was awarded from ACG to S. A. MIRO, INC. for their experience in designing complicated structures similar to the library. The project's main contractor was ASGC Construction, a Dubai-based construction group.

Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum announced the conception of the library in February 2016, the "Year of Reading" in Dubai.[5] Designed in the shape of an open book on a lectern, the seven-story library will cover 650,000 square feet of property and is expected to facilitate 9 million visitors annually.[6] The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library will house over 4.5 million printed, digital, and audio books.[5] The AED1 billion contract for the construction for the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is the largest cultural project in Dubai.[5] Construction began in September 2016, to be completed by mid-2018.[5] As of December 2017, the construction of the library was 22% completed.[7] In 2018 it was 72% complete.[3]

The library was due to open in 2018 but was still under construction in 2019.[8] As of February 2020, the facade was complete, the main structure was topped out, and the interior in late stages of development.[9] The library was opened to public on the 16th of June, 2022 and hosted a meeting of the Dubai Executive Council on the 23rd of June 2022. [10]

The library encompasses eight specialized collections, including an information centre, a media centre, an Arabic library, an international library, a public library, a business library, a youth library, a children's library, a family library, and a reading corner.[11] Furthermore, the library will include a center for conservation and preservation of books, manuscripts, and documents as well as a special library for the Al Maktoum Collection.[12] The library is expecting to host over 100 cultural and intellectual events every year along with a permanent art gallery.[5] The inclusion of a Civilization museum and an Arab Heritage Museum will allow people to embrace their Arab identity through heritage preservation initiatives.[12] The library includes a 500-seat theatre for lectures and seminars for launching intellectual and cultural events regionally and globally.[12]

The MBR Library will have modern technology to serve scientific research and dissemination of knowledge.[5] Hussein Nasser Lootah, Director-General of Dubai Municipality, has stated that the MBR Library will be a "world accredited reference in Arabic language and a destination for specialists, scientists, writers, poets, intellectuals, talented minds, and students. It will also serve as an incubation for publishers."[5]

Drive to the library via the Al Khail Road (D68), near to where the road crosses the Dubai Creek, taking the exit to the Creek Metro Station and Mohammed bin Rashid Library. You'll find the library signposted after you exit the main road.

In a region where summer temperatures easily exceed 40C and where the sun is shining brutally, the library needed a very efficient solar shading solution to protect the precious books and offer a comfortable environment to the library visitors, without hiding the stunning view on surrounding area, including Dubai Creek. The solution also had to be as innovative as the rest of the building.

Finally, thanks to its ability to block heat and glare without the use of blinds or shades, SageGlass preserves views of the outdoors and the stunning design imagined by the architects for the library.

By blocking the sun throughout hot days or letting it in when needed, SageGlass will provide a superior comfort to the visitors and save energy, helping the library to pursue LEED and Al Safat green certifications (with a platinum level), all while preserving the view to the outdoors and the priceless books.

Opened in 2022, this architectural masterpiece, spanning 66,000 square-meters, houses over 1.5 million print and digital books and a database containing over 21 million titles and videos. Founded as a response to the National Year of Reading, MBRL was the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Shaped like the rehl, the traditional book rest for the Holy Quran, its collection features rare manuscripts and first editions of great literary works, some dating back to the 13th century. The library overlooks Dubai Creek in Al Jaddaf, a natural saltwater brook in the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates.

Alongside traditional print materials, the library houses a vast collection of digital titles. Visitors can access thousands of downloadable ebooks and multilingual digital books through a database containing over 21 million titles and videos.

Though specific details are not currently available, blending tradition and tech in the library and its ongoing development does signal the future incorporation of other digital tools and services. These could involve further automation, augmented reality experiences, or more tailored digital experiences for visitors.

Bibliotheca is dedicated to the development of innovative technologies and library management solutions that help sustain and grow libraries around the world. Bibliotheca reimagines how libraries function, using integrated technology to inspire and delight all kinds of people, wherever they are: at home, on the move, or within the library walls.

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DUBAI, UAE, July 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library is set to host the first edition of the Dubai International Library Conference (DILC) 2024, one of the most prominent and prestigious events of its kind in the Middle East and North Africa region, under the slogan "Our Libraries, Past, Present and Future," from 15-17 November 2024, with the participation of more than 25 countries and more than 60 speakers from around the world.

The conference, which is considered the most prominent event at the level of local and international conferences and events in the public library sector, attracts an elite group of specialists, professionals and experts from all over the world, with the aim of exchanging ideas and experiences, and learning about the latest practices in the library and information sector.

Among the most prominent names participating in the conference are Louis Coiffait-Gunn, CEO of CILIP, Sharon Memis, Secretary General of IFLA, Leslie Burger, Interim Executive Director at ALA, Mohsin Al Musawi, from Columbia University, Dr Sami Mobayed, Historian at the Royal Historical Society in London, Saif Aljabri, Omani Library Association and Chair of IFLA MENA, Dr. Ahmed Zayed, Director of the Library of Alexandria, Dr. Faiza Adeeb Al- Bayati, President of the Iraqi Library, Information and Documentation Specialists Association, Dr. Heba Ismail, Vice President of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information, and Constantia Constantinou, Deputy Dean and Director of Libraries at the University of Pennsylvania.

DILC 2024 will feature more than 45 distinguished panel discussions, workshops, lectures, and round table interactive talks, highlighting the preservation and restoration of archives, new developments in library systems and programs, intellectual property, copyright laws, artificial intelligence, sustainable libraries, and the role of philanthropy in ensuring access to books and information.

The conference highlights the importance of libraries and their role in achieving knowledge exchange within a global framework, in addition to celebrating libraries as models of engineering and architectural masterpieces, and their cultural status. It also focuses on the diversity of knowledge offered by international libraries and their unique specialisations. Experts and professionals from various fields and from all over the world are set to define and chart the future of libraries and highlight the latest technological development libraries are adopting including AI and its impact on the industry.

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