The National Library and Archives praises the distinguished experience of the British Library

An official delegation from the National Library and Archives headed by Abdulla Majid Al Ali, the Acting Director General visited the British Library in London, which is the National Library of the United Kingdom, to benefit from its experience and provide services to various readers, intellectuals, and visitors.
The delegation was received by members of the Library's executive office who escorted the visiting delegation members in a tour of the reading halls, the permanent specialized artistic exhibitions; and the Arabic and Islamic manuscripts corner; where they briefed them on the adopted preservation and display methods for the various Library holdings, and the regulations for their access. The delegation members listened to a general explanation of the digital infrastructure of that Great Library, and inspected the services provided by the Library to its visitors, and its search mechanisms. The delegation was also briefed on access policies, procedures, circulation regulations, and technical management processes for the library's printed and digital book collections, etc.
At the end of the tour, His Excellency Abdulla Majid Al Ali praised the British Library’s significant role whether locally or globally. With its rich invaluable holdings, it is the targeted destination for senior researchers and librarians from all over the world. H.E. expressed his optimism that the projected UAE National Library would benefit from the distinguished experience of the British Library to provide research requirements and mechanisms for the UAE and Arab region’s future generations.
His Excellency said: The British library is no longer a mere book repository or a readers and researchers’ hub, this is indicated by its great role in providing its visitors diverse, rare sources, references, and distinguished services. With its great experience and expertise, it serves, in many aspects and fields, as a significant source for the UAE National Library. We are currently working on establishing a National Library in Abu Dhabi, for the sustainable dissemination of national, Arab and international knowledge and culture, combining authenticity of Emirati origin, and modernity of employed techniques, means and systems to allow customers easy access to knowledge sources, to benefit and achieve scientific, academic and knowledge progress in an inspirational pleasant and comfortable atmosphere, while maintaining the National Library’s characteristics, and leading functions in comparison with other UAE libraries, and performing its integral role in intellectual production planning, control, and supervision fields and performing its tasks in connection with national bibliography.
It is noteworthy that the National Library and Archives delegation’s visit to the British Library came due to the great importance of its distinguished management of its holdings from all over the world which exceed 150 million items, including publications, manuscripts, digital material, artwork, various multimedia, periodicals and audio recordings. Some of these holdings date back two thousand years BC. The British Library annually attracts over a million visitors. All the above-mentioned impressive characteristics earned both the British Library along with the American Library of Congress the distinguished status of being the world’s two largest libraries.