Visitors and donations soar at Isa Cultural Centre’s National Library, sparking joy in the community

TDT | Manama

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Children borrowed 87 books and joined 58 activities. Adults, meanwhile, donated over 7,000 items. Together, they made up part of a sharp rise in visits to the National Library at the Isa Cultural Centre during the second half of 2024, when 4,022 users were recorded.

The figures, covering June to December, showed 2,052 visits in total. Borrowing reached 896 items, while 13 public events were held.

Memberships issued or renewed came to 103. A further 36 orientation tours were run, and 239 people made use of reference services without needing to visit in person.

Behind the scenes, the library continued adding to its collection. Just over 2,100 new records were entered. Donations, however, drew most attention.

Items

A total of 7,337 items were handed over in six months. Among them were 72 titles by Bahraini authors, 121 academic theses, 111 children’s books, and 405 general-interest works.

The Children’s Library proved busy. It welcomed 1,813 young visitors. Of these, 470 came during the day and 1,342 in the evening.

There were 86 institutional visits from schools, youth centres and cultural clubs.

Children borrowed books and took part in a range of activities, many tied to holidays or awareness weeks.

Book titles

The Shaikh Abdullah bin Khalid Al Khalifa Library now holds 7,083 book titles. Most, about 88 per cent, are in Arabic.

The rest are in English, and one in 10 are rare editions.

The rest include bibliographies, encyclopaedias, books on religion, historical works, and a fair number on the history of Bahrain and the Gulf. Alongside the statistics, the Isa Cultural Centre has set out a new four-year strategy running to 2028.

The plan outlines six aims. These include expanding printed and digital collections, offering cultural and scientific events, caring for Arab and Islamic heritage, drawing attention to Bahrain’s history and identity, encouraging dialogue between cultures, and supporting research and writing at home.

The strategy centres on collecting, organising and preserving material, both physical and digital.

It also includes widening readership, hosting events, and supporting both local culture and international exchange.

Planned work involves improving library services, bringing in new readers, reviewing the collection, forming partnerships, encouraging reading, and supporting cultural tourism.

The centre also wants to publish more research, acquire rare manuscripts, and raise awareness of local writing and thought.

There are plans to digitise rare works to protect them and to bring the library’s systems into line with global standards.

Arab and Islamic heritage

The centre said it would continue gathering and sharing Arab and Islamic heritage through exhibitions, outreach and cooperation with international archives.

In terms of local culture, new programmes for students and researchers are being prepared to shed light on Bahrain’s artistic and historical record.

The centre is also planning studies and events that show the range of Bahrain’s traditions.