Renaissance Begins with the Library

Abstract

The article examines the central role of libraries within Sharjah’s cultural and knowledge-based development project, emphasizing that civilizational renaissance cannot be achieved apart from culture and knowledge. It presents libraries as foundational institutions for social progress, intellectual growth, and the formation of knowledge societies. The article highlights Sharjah’s vision, shaped by the cultural project of H.H. Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi and supported by Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, to strengthen libraries as incubators of ideas, communities for readers and researchers, and drivers of comprehensive and sustainable development. It also addresses the impact of digital transformation on library functions, arguing that technological change has expanded rather than diminished the role of libraries. In this context, libraries are entrusted with new responsibilities related to information credibility, accuracy, archiving, and documentation. The article concludes by linking the advancement of libraries to research support, global knowledge exchange, professional communication, and Sharjah’s broader cultural renaissance.