Private Corridors of Home Libraries

Abstract

This article explores home libraries as personal spaces for reading, memory, and the organization of one’s relationship with books. Written in the context of World Book Day, it presents two cultural experiences in Sharjah through conversations with Abdulaziz Abdulrahman Al-Muslim and Dr. Abdul Sattar Al-Ghazari. The discussion addresses the beginnings of their relationships with books, preferred reading materials, reasons for establishing home libraries, sources of book acquisition, methods of arrangement, and views on e-books and modern technologies. The article emphasizes that a home library is not merely a storage space for books, but an expression of its owner’s cultural identity and intellectual interests. It also highlights the role of family reading habits, printed books, and personal libraries in shaping awareness and sustaining reading culture among younger generations.