Annual Statistical Collection of UAE Libraries, 1998: Department of Culture and Information, Central Library

Abstract

This publication is an independent statistical record documenting selected aspects of the activity of the Central Library of the Department of Culture and Information during 1998, while also including comparative data for Kalba Public Library and Khor Fakkan Public Library. The tables present detailed indicators of internal circulation arranged by subject fields such as general knowledge, philosophy, religion, social sciences, languages, pure sciences, applied sciences, arts, literature, and geography/history/biography. This structure makes the document useful for identifying patterns of collection use and reading demand across the libraries covered during the reference year.

The material also includes separate visitor statistics for the Central Library, Kalba Public Library, and Khor Fakkan Public Library, classified by gender and nationality. This gives the document added value by extending beyond circulation counts to reveal demographic patterns of library use. Its significance lies in its usefulness for performance assessment, branch comparison, service planning, and collection development within the Sharjah library system. One table also notes that the Central Library was closed for part of 1998 due to relocation to the Sharjah Library building, an institutional detail that is important for interpreting the annual figures accurately.