CILIP, the UK library and information association, has announced a new partnership with Sharjah Public Libraries as part of the successful Working Internationally for Libraries project, funded by the Arts Council England.

Under the terms of this new Partnership, CILIP and SPL will work together for the shared ambition to foster international cooperation according to their respective objectives for their mutual benefits as well as the benefit of the library and information community.

The signing ceremony, which took place on the 6th February 2020 in London, UK provided an opportunity for the CILIP President and team to meet their counterparts from Sharjah, UAE, including President Sharjah Book Authority, H.E Mr. Ahmed Al Amri and Deputy Head of Mission UAE Embassy in London, H.E. Rawdha Al Otaiba.

Speaking on the occasion of the signing, CILIP President Professor Judy Broady-Preston commented, “I am proud to be forging this new partnership with Sharjah Public Libraries. The global community of library and information professionals is strong and vibrant, and by learning from and supporting one another today we are ensuring that our profession will continue to be the cornerstone of communities in the future. ”

Also commenting on the signing, H.E Mr. Ahmed Al Amri said, "We are delighted to be working with CILIP to share knowledge and best practice from our respective countries. By working together we will not only bring innovation and new practices into libraries, we will also be leading the way in building cultural relations."

Eman Bushulaibi, Director of Sharjah Public Library said: “Sharjah Public Libraries adopts a straightforward strategy in forging partnerships with different education and knowledge centres worldwide. At the heart of these collaborations lie our ambition to multiply information sources, and also continue on our mission to bring more libraries and scientific institutions as well as their valuable information archives, into our partnership folds. This significant new agreement with CILIP will strongly supplement the academic and professional journeys of readers, scholars and researchers in the UAE and Arab World. This is also a significant step forward in enhancing the knowledge and capabilities of our library professionals in the fields of archiving, indexing and management”.

Photos from the signing

Notes for Editors

A full list of current CILIP Trustees is available at www.cilip.org.uk/page/Trustees

To interview Professor Broady-Preston email press@cilip.org.uk

Sharjah Public Library is one of three core businesses operated under Sharjah Book Authority. SPL’s mission is to inspire the intellectual curiosity through the provision of unique services, outstanding collections, and remarkable resources to create a cultural hub for the community to cultivate the human mind and intellect, fostering generations of knowledge pursuers who will further enhance society.

For more information, visit: www.spl.gov.ae