Thursday 14 / November / 2024
Muscat: The 35th conference of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information kicked off in Muscat today under the theme "Libraries and Arab Archives Institutions and Their Role in Promoting Digital Identity and Citizenship". The conference was opened under the patronage of HH Sayyid Fahd bin Al Julanda Al Said, SQU Vice-Chancellor.
The three-day conference is hosted by the Sultanate of Oman, represented by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, in cooperation with Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information.
Ahmed bin Saud Al Rawahi, Assistant Director General of Knowledge and Cultural Development at the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, said “The conference comes at a time when libraries and archives institutions face new challenges, in addition to the abundant opportunities in the age of digitization and rapid cultural transformations”.
He pointed out that libraries and archives play a pivotal role in enhancing cultural identity by collecting, preserving and disseminating knowledge. They also contribute to building an informed digital citizenship by providing access to information and digital services, enabling individuals to enhance their skills and interact with the digital community.
The conference aims to highlight the importance of libraries and archives in supporting society, developing national identity and digital citizenship, and enhancing cooperation among Arab countries in this field. It includes 54 scientific papers, workshops, and dialogue sessions distributed over ten sessions, focusing on the importance of the role of libraries in strengthening national identity and facing challenges to build a digital environment that contributes to strengthening citizenship.
