| Bibliotheca Alexandrina |
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The Bibliotheca Alexandrina is a major Library and Cultural center located on the shore of the Mediterranean Sea in the Egypt ian City of Alexandria . It is both a commemoration of the Library Of Alexandria that was lost in Antiquity and an attempt to rekindle something of the brilliance that this earlier center of study and erudition represented. The idea of reviving the old library dates back to $65 million, mostly from the Arab states. Construction work began in 1995 and, after some USD $220 million had been spent, the complex was officially inaugurated on October 16 , 2002 . The dimensions of the project are vast: the library has shelf space for eight million books, with the main reading room covering 70,000 m&2 on eleven cascading levels. The complex also houses a conference center; specialized libraries for the blind, for young people, and for children; three Museum s; four Art Galleries ; a Planetarium ; and a Manuscript restoration Laboratory . The library's architecture is equally striking. The main reading room stands beneath a 32- Meter -high Glass -panelled Roof , tilted out toward the sea like a Sundial , and measuring some 160 m in diameter. The walls are of gray Aswan Granite , carved with Character s from 120 different Human Script s. Collections The collections at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina were donated from all over the world. The Spanish donated documents that detailed the ruling of the Moors. The French also donated, giving the library documents dealing with the building of the Suez Canal. Bibliotheca Alexandrina also maintains a copy of the Internet Archive . Criticisms of the Library Yet, the dream of restoring Alexandria to its academic roots has not gone without some outcries from the public. Many experts question whether modern day Egypt can afford to supply such a library, with all the materials it needs, or if the government can truly keep censorship out of the collection. Roger Bilboul, "The Library of Alexandria Reopens," ''Information Today''19, no. 11 (December 2002): 26, http://web.ebscohost.com/. In addition, many people feel that too much attention is being played to sending a message through the building’s design, of a rising sun, and not in the collection it stores. The library only had, in 2002, 500,000 books, which is low when comparing it to other national libraries of the world. There are low levels of books because of the lack of funds available in Egypt. People were upset that so much money was spent on construction, while there is not enough money for books. Some people estimate it will take 80 years to fill up the capacity of the library, due to the fact that the library has insufficient funds to fill up its stacks. The library relies heavily on donations to buy books for its collections. Bruce Watson, "Rising Sun," ''Smithsonian'', April 2002, http://web.ebscohost.com/. In addition to a lack of books, another complaint arising is should the money and time be spent elsewhere, in other areas, other than a library. Egypt has a high level of illiteracy within its borders, with half of its adults unable to read; many feel that a priority should be placed on getting the country reading, through education programs, instead of creating a massive library. Michel Arseneault, "Alexandria, from papyrus to the Internet," ''The Unesco Courier''52, no. 4 (April 1999): 41-42, http://web.ebscohost.com/. Gallery of images |
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