Africa: “Somalia’s National Library Rises Amid the Ruins”

From the Toronto Star:

It is hard to imagine the faded yellow building, where a few families eke out an existence, was once Somalia’s National Library.
Mogadishu’s ruins blend one building to the next, so there is little to distinguish it from the bombed-out remains of nearby parliament buildings.
But that may soon change if all goes to an ambitious plan to restore Mogadishu’s library — the latest project in the capital’s construction boom.
“There are so many youth who do not have a safe place to go and read; they may not have lights at their houses and they need somewhere to learn,” the project’s director, Zainab Hassan said Thursday from Mogadishu. “It is one of the most important things that can make a difference in society.”

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See Also: Heritage Institute for Foreign Policy Studies Libraries Programme Web Page

Filed under: Libraries, National Libraries, News