Message from the Melcom International Committee (Dr. Arnoud Vrolijk, Sara
Yontan-Musnik and Mastan Ebtehaj)
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To our dismay we have learned that units of the National Guard of Iraq
have intruded the premises of the National Library in Baghdad, ignoring
pleas from the library staff and its director to leave the building and to
respect the integrity of this national institution of culture and learning.
On behalf of the members of Melcom International, the European Association
of Middle East Librarians, we would like to express our grave concern
about the current situation. The National Library of Iraq has suffered
greatly during the war and the ensuing occupation, and we urgently request
the Government of Iraq and the occupying forces to do everything within
their power to protect the National Library.
Dr Arnoud Vrolijk (Leiden University Library, The Netherlands), President
Sara Yontan-Musnik (Bibliothèque Nationale de France), Secretary Mastan
Ebtehaj (Middle East Centre, St Antony's College, Oxford), Treasurer"
-----Original Message-----
________________________________
From: Library and Information Professionals [mailto:LIS-
[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kenna, Stephanie
Sent: 09 August 2007 08:39
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: URGENT REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE FROM THE DIRECTOR OF THE IRAQ
NATIONAL LIBRARY AND ARCHIVE
Importance: High
STOP PRESS
I have just received the urgent message below from Dr Saad Eskander, the
Director of the Iraq National Library and Archive (INLA) in Baghdad.
According to Eskander, a group of Iraqi national guards broke into the
National Library and Archive's main building as the government declared a
4-day curfew period. Eskander believes this will put the INLA's staff and
library and archival collections in real danger.
[The British Library has been posting Dr Eskander's diary blog at
http://www.bl.uk/iraqdiary.html <http://www.bl.uk/iraqdiary.html> since
the end of 2006. Eskander's blog provides cogent and unmediated witness to
the perilous and tragic conditions that the Iraq National Library and
Archive and its staff are operating under].
If you want any further information or want to contact me - as it looks as
though it may be difficult to contact Eskander himself - my direct dial
number is 0207 412 7269 (mob: 07986840861)
With Best Wishes
Andy
Andy Stephens
Board Secretary and Head of Corporate Secretariat The British Library
96 Euston Road
London NW1 2DB
Tel: (020) 7412 7269
Fax: (020) 7412 7093
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