The National Archives concluded the month of reading after having presented an extensive range of knowledge activities and programs that encourage reading.
In its Belief in reading as a strategic choice towards a brighter future, the National Archives achieved great success through its month of reading activities
The National Archives concluded the month of reading after having presented an extensive range of knowledge activities and programs that encourage reading.
The activities and programs provided great educational and knowledge content for the public of different society segments in general, and for the National Archives employees in particular. The main objective of the programs presented by the National Archives’ Educational Programs and Emirates Library Sections is to promote reading culture as a regular and sustainable practice among the UAE public and various society segments. These programs support future generations’ civic education, enhance the public’s good citizenship, and values of loyalty and belonging to the homeland and its wise leadership.
As part of the National Archives Reading Month educational programs and activities, it organized in March 124 lectures and workshops from which 3,586 followers, from 107 different entities benefitted.
His Excellency Abdullah Majid Al Ali, the National Archives Executive Director, said that The National Archives in the course of realizing its mission has employed reading activities and workshops that utilized a number of its distinguished publications for children, in its keen interest to enhance future generations’ national identity and acquaint them with the UAE glorious history. It strives to establish an intellectual reading community, capable of leading the development process and march.
H.E. added: The National Archives managed to achieve the Reading Month desired goals, namely; to educate the public and promote the national values of loyalty and belonging to the homeland, implement the wise leadership’s national strategy directives, endorse its reading initiatives, and introduce to the public, particularly students and children, the UAE great leaders and their achievements to follow their footsteps and take them as role models, and to raise this important segment of society’s awareness and knowledge of cultural heritage, and ultimately enhance the National Archives corporate brand and image and promote its publications and its knowledge treasures.
H.E. pointed out that the National Archives' month of reading activities focused on the National Archives' publications of summarized stories for children, namely, (Zayed from Challenges to Union, Khalifa, a Journey into the Future, and Qasr Al Hosn, The history of the Rulers of Abu Dhabi).
The reading month activities also reviewed (Zayed a 100 Stories) initiative produced stories, namely: (I perceived the future in Zayed), (The Story of Faris) and (Zayed quotes and lessons), in addition to educational games inspired by the publications of the National Archives and its historical documents, such as: the educational booklet (Watani Al-Emarat) and (the march) educational game.
His Excellency concluded his speech: “With this group of virtual and direct activities and programs targeting a wide audience whether the employees or the public, the National Archives was able to achieve its objective of promoting reading as a regular and sustainable habit, to reflect the reading month slogan (My family reads).
It is noteworthy that the National Archives enhanced and promoted its reading month activities through its concurrent celebrations of: Emirati Children’s Day and International Day of Happiness. The diverse National Archives’ programs’ activities included national lectures, introductory lectures on the National Archives’ role and tasks, as well as reading workshops, that achieved impressive results and enriched students’ knowledge. The National Archives Educational Programs Section’s Experts and Specialists, namely: Dr. Hosnia Al-Ali, Mohammed Ismail Abdullah, Aisha Al-Zaabi, Hind Al-Zaabi, and Maryam Al-Mansoori participated in presenting these activities.
As for the Emirates Library activities in March 2021, His Excellency said: The Emirates Library activities and programs demonstrated the National Archives' keen interest in books and reading since its establishment, due to its Belief that knowledge reflects how civilized and developed any nation is. The Emirates Library has developed a strategic plan which it effectively implemented to promote and encourage reading through various activities. It organized internal reading exhibitions: "A Journey into the World of Reading and perusal", and distributing free books to employees to encourage reading. It also organized an internal reading competition where staff members summarize a book of their choice from the Emirates Library. The library also conducted through interactive social media platforms various virtual lectures, some of which acquainted participants with methods of benefiting from the Emirates Library’s different services, and tackled some of its rare and valuable holdings. The Emirates Library also organized various lectures in cooperation with Specialists from different distinguished entities, namely: a lecture entitled (Digital Technology Serving to Facilitate Access to Legal Information) delivered by Mr. Abdullah Al-Nasiri, a lecture entitled (Documents on the Arabian Gulf Modern and Contemporary History) by Dr. Khaled Al-Saadi, a lecture entitled (How to create a reading motivating home environment) by Dr. Honada Taha, and a lecture entitled (Programs and applications for learning Arabic and encouraging children’s Internet reading) by Habiba Wahdan and Fenan Kilani.
On the Emirates Library and ways to benefit from it: Sharifa Al Fahim, Head of the Emirates Library Section, presented a lecture entitled: (The Emirates Library, the Knowledge seekers haven), whereas other Emirates Library officials conducted various lectures and workshops. Omar Hamadneh delivered two lectures entitled: (the Emirates Library’s rare holdings), and (useful skills for searching through information institutions’ indexes), while Suhail Shaaban highlighted the library’s initiative "Suggest a book of interest to you and we will buy it and make it available to you), Yasmine Al-Hebshi presented three lectures in English, entitled: “Thesis, dessertation, and Emirates Library free access sources ”, “How to use JSTOR databases”, and “Eight reading acceleration and understanding techniques”, and Shamma Al-Awani and Kulthum Abu Bakr introduced the library bulletins and how to benefit from its services. Shamsa Al Qubaisi delivered a lecture on the Emirates Library periodical articles.
It is noteworthy that the National Archives organized, during the reading month, a number of other introductory and awareness-raising virtual lectures, including: “Perceiving the future: Assessment of its Capabilities and Maturity” presented by PDCA Management Consultancy Group, and a lecture entitled “Health and the importance of sports and nutrition” by Dr. Nasser Al Ameri, and “Reflections on happiness and positivity” by Dr. Mansour Habib, and “mental health during crisis” by Dr. Aisha Al Dhaheri, and a lecture on scientific research ethics by Dr. Heba Al Deeb.
The National Archives
The National Archives of the UAE Ministry of Presidential Affairs was established in 1968, upon the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan’s directives, with the aim of collecting and documenting material relating to the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region. Forty years after its establishment, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE issued Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 changing its name to be the (National Center for Documentation and Research), entrusted with organizing the archives of the UAE government agencies, Later H.H. issued another order to change its name to be the (National Archives) in accordance with Federal Law No. (1) of 2014 issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
