The National Archives participates in the Library Week with Introductory Sessions About Educational Programs and the Emirates Library
The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates participated in the activities of the “Library Week” organized by Emirates College for Advanced Education in Abu Dhabi with two introductory sessions: the first one was about the NA Educational Programs Section and the impact of such programs on teachers.
The National Archives participates in the Library Week with Introductory Sessions
About Educational Programs and the Emirates Library
The National Archives of the United Arab Emirates participated in the activities of the “Library Week” organized by Emirates College for Advanced Education in Abu Dhabi with two introductory sessions: the first one was about the NA Educational Programs Section and the impact of such programs on teachers. The second one was about the NA Emirates Library and its rich collection of specialized books. This participation aims at throwing light on the efforts made by the National Archives in the educational and national upbringing of young people and on the library as a key source of knowledge, and at encouraging the members of society to visit the library and make use of its holdings.
On day one, Mrs. Husniya Al Ali, Head of the NA Educational Programs Section, held an educational session for the teachers on the role of the NA Educational Programs in complementing school curricula in history and civic education, and in enhancing the national and societal spirit among the younger generations to instill the love their country in them. The session reviewed the activities of the Educational Programs such as: the “cultural season”, the “educational kit” and the “educational programs initiatives” such as “My Archive My Future”, “Student Historians Club”, “Young Historian Award”, “Reading Nation Project” and the National Archive Platform at “KidZania Dubai”.
The session discussed the services provided by the National Archives to support researchers and scholars and those interested in the UAE history and heritage. Such services include the smart applications launched by the National Archives, such as its “Watheq” smart application that reflects the national campaign initiative “Watheq” launched by the NA and designed to document personal records, with the aim of creating a personal archive for each UAE National, as well as its sophisticated interactive application “Al Bu Fallah Family Tree”, which includes hundreds of personalities, starting with Yas, all the way down to the grandsons of the sons of the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The National Archives has also launched a smart application to archive the websites of local and federal government agencies. This application is the largest of its kind in the region, in addition to Sheikh Zayed Audio Library that contains hundreds of the founding leader’s audio recordings addressing different local and Arab and international issues.
The session also dealt with the publications of the National Archives, which document the nation's memory, and keep the records of the birth of the modern UAE with the establishment of the Union. The National Archives has documented the efforts of the wise leadership by issuing glossy volumes on the biography of the founding leader the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The National Archives attaches great importance to historical studies on the UAE and the Arabian Peninsula. Consequently, it has published valuable books in that field, which were well received by researchers, scholars and specialists in the history of the region.
During the session, a presentation was given about the facilities and equipment designed to serve researchers and scholars, such as the Emirates Library, the Customers’ Happiness Hall and the National Archives website, which contains a wealth of information that support national curricula.
The second day saw a second introductory session by Mrs. Husniya Al Ali about the Emirates Library. She pointed out that the National Archives, since its inception, has considered the preservation of the UAE history and heritage, documented in books, among its priorities. Therefore, it has established the specialized Emirates Library, which gives researchers, scholars and students access to its rich collections in print and electronic forms. The goals of the Emirates Library are derived from those of the National Archives; as it acquires valuable scientific resources and references on the Arab and Islamic civilization, with a special focus on titles relevant to the UAE and the Gulf region. The library has a wealth of valuable Local, Gulf, Arab and international sources, references and periodicals. This represents another facet of the support given by the National Archives to researchers, scholars and students.
