Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Mahmoud Library

Abstract

This article presents a documentary and institutional profile of the Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Mahmoud Library as a special library with scientific, cultural, and religious functions in the Emirate of Sharjah. The text frames the library as a distinguished private knowledge institution and links it to the scholarly and reformist legacy of Sheikh Abdullah bin Ali Al Mahmoud, thereby giving the article both a historical and biographical dimension. It shows that the library was established to serve scholarly research, disseminate religious and cultural awareness, and facilitate public and academic access to knowledge resources.

The article further describes the library’s structure and operations in considerable detail, covering its major sections, including the audiovisual unit, the children’s section, and the electronic library, as well as its classification system, guidance services, internal and external circulation, reference support, bibliographic searching, and remote services. It also highlights the library’s cultural and academic activities, its links with universities and research centers inside and outside the UAE, and the administration’s efforts to expand collections, train staff, modernize technical infrastructure, and plan future networking and information-access services. Overall, the article portrays the library as an active special library contributing to education, culture, and information services in the UAE.