A Heritage Library Keeping Pace with the Times

Abstract

This interview presents Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Mahmoud Library as a heritage library with a cultural, educational, and community-oriented mission that seeks to keep pace with contemporary developments. The discussion covers the library’s establishment, the background of its founder, its opening, and the nature of its collections, which focus primarily on Islamic, Arabic, and heritage-related subjects while also expanding to include diverse topics that serve community needs. The interview explains the library’s classification system and main sections, including manuscripts, periodicals and newspapers, youth collections, the electronic library, reference services, circulation, copying, and information search services. It also highlights the library’s cooperation with cultural, educational, and research institutions within and outside the UAE, as well as its seasonal cultural activities and religious courses. The interview reveals the library’s orientation toward continuous development through new systems, wider Internet use, and stronger cooperation with local and external libraries, making it a model of a heritage library that preserves its identity while responding to technological and knowledge transformations.