Directory Information Library: National Library of Libya Address: POB 9127, Benghazi Contact: Head of Administration Dept. S. Gumaha Telephone: (61) 90509 Fax: (61) 96379 Http: E-mail:

History & Collections


Libya, officially the Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya, is in northern Africa, bordered by the Mediterranean Sea on the north, Egypt on the east, Sudan on the southeast, Chad and Niger on the south, and Algeria and Tunisia on the west. Population (1990 est.) 4,000,000; area 1,749,000 sq.km. The language is Arabic.


History


Libya was a center of some of the outstanding civilizations of ancient times. In the Eastern Region the Greeks established a large public library in Cyrene. By Roman times many other libraries had been introduced. During Islamic rule the country benefited from the educated people who crossed the territory, traveling from one end of the Islamic world to the other. The people began to engage in scientific and literary activities. The largest library, started Injaghboub, contained about 40,000 volumes, the great majority of which were in manuscript; remains of that collection (over 1,000 manuscripts) are now in the Central Library of Garyounis University. An antiquities library was founded in the capital city, Tripoli, in 1911. It is the richest library of rare books, documents, and archives in the country. Another was established in Cyrene in 1914; it holds more than 10,000 rare books in various languages. Many other libraries were founded throughout the country to serve religious and social groups where there were no public libraries. The collections of these libraries are mixed, but they cover mostly Arabic literature and Islamic interests, National Library. From 1955, the university library acted as a national library, but in response to the need for a national library the Ministry of Education decided to establish one in Benghazi City.


Construction now completed, it has been furnished and equipped. The book, manuscript, document, and periodical collections are quickly growing, and in 1984 a proclamation was issued to establish it as a depository library. Plans called for it to be open to the public.


Academic Libraries


The Central Library of Garyounis University, Benghazi, was founded in 1955. It started with a collection of 300 volumes and grew at a fast rate in print and nonprint materials, reaching more than 260,000 volumes by the late 1980s. The building consists of four air-conditioned floors, with a capacity of 3,000 seats plus facilities for a million volumes. The library has four main departments: Readers' Services, Branch Libraries, Technical Services, and Administration. It uses the Dewey Decimal Classification for non-Arabic books. An amended system is used for the Arabic collection. The Audiovisual Division is well equipped with good facilities. There are six branch libraries.


The first library in the University of El-Fateh, Tripoli, was established in 1957 when the Faculty of Science was opened. There are seven libraries, each with a rich collection mainly in the field of the faculty. The collection totals about 155,800 volumes in addition to 3,510 periodicals and, a large number of back issues. Audiovisual departments with large collections function in each library. In 1970 a decision was made to erect a new Central Library building, but the project was delayed. The basic book collection of the Central Library is temporarily located in a part of the Faculty of Science. The Library School at this university gives good support to the faculty libraries, mainly in providing them with professional staff and technical services. The Dewey Decimal System and Anglo- American Cataloguing Rules are used.


Bright Star University of Technology was opened in Brega, 280 km. west of Benghazi, in 1981. A Central Library building was erected on the cam- pus. The book collection totals about 35,000 volumes, mostly in English. It subscribes to 415 periodicals and has a small collection of back issues. A small audiovisual section has been established. Several departmental libraries offer quick service to the faculty, staff, and students. The library applies the technical system used in the University of Garyounis libraries.


The University of Sebha was founded in 1983. Its library was established in 1977 for the Faculty of Education that was part of the University of El-Fateh in Tripoli. The book collection is over 35,000 volumes in various languages. The Library subscribes to 410 periodicals. It publishes a quarterly bulletin to notify readers of new additions and other news. It uses the same technical system as the other university libraries. In spite of shortages in technical manpower and other difficulties, it promised to become a dependable library serving the educated people in the southern part of Libya.


Higher Technical Institutes


Five higher institutes for technical education were founded in various parts of the country between 1972 and 1977. Each institute has its own library; each contains about 10,000 volumes. The institutes cooperate to cover any needs that may arise among them.


Public Libraries


Public library service in the modern sense was started in the country in 1953. These libraries were under the Minister of Education. In 1960 the Minister of Information and Culture introduced a new service at the people's cultural centers. Both public libraries and cultural centers cooperate to provide their clientele with new books, magazines, newspapers, and government publications. They numbered more than 160 in the late 1980s. Technical services, acquisitions, and budget control are centralized in a department of the Secretary of Information.


School Libraries


From 1960 considerable efforts were made to establish libraries in secondary, preparatory, and vocational schools. By the end of 1978 almost all of them had small libraries. Services of those libraries improved when the Secretary of Education provided better support with more adequate budgets. They are still in need of proper facilities and sufficient trained personnel.


Special Libraries


These libraries have become indispensable for the main secretariats, organizations, and other establishments. Special libraries up to 1970 numbered only eight in the whole country. That number had increased to 29 by the end of 1982. Each library maintains material relating to its special activities.


Libraries and Archives


National Library of Libya: POB 9127, Benghazi; tel. (61) 90509; fax (61) 96379; Head of Administration Dept. S. Gumaha.
Public Library: Shar'a Umar al-Mukhtar, Benghazi: 11,000 vols: Librarian Ahmad GALLA.

Sources:

The World of Learning 1998. p. 978.
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