Intelligent Reading

 
Koutoub khana a collection of value, 70,000 rare manuscripts & 3000 papyri.
During the last century, at the beginning of the 1870's, Ali Mubarak, the then minister of education, was charged with the task of creating the Koutoub khana (Dar El-Koteb or the house of books). A cultivated and enlightened soul, the great administrator selected the best manuscripts and works stashed away in mosques, mausoleums, and ministerial archives, particularly that of the Ministry of Waqfs (endownments), architectural apparatus, maps, plans and topographic reliefs. Such was the nucleus of the library officially inaugurated on 24th September 1870.

Starting in 1873, this base was supplemented by large batches of work, original manuscripts and documents, offered by the institute
d' Egypte and other foreign scientific missions working in the country, mostly in European languages. To these two other collections were added besides;
a) In 1876, the Library of Mustafa Fadel, brother of the Khedive Ismail, comprising 3,458 bound volumes.
b) In 1929, the Library of Kavala: 35,000 works.
c) In 1929, the Talaat Library: 30,000 bound works in Arabic and European languages among them Qurans and manuscripts of famous calligraphers.
d) In 1936, the library of Ibrahim Halim: 1,607 works.
e) In 1939, the Library of Khalil Agha: 1,500 works.
f) In 1982, the Taymour Library: 19,527 very rare manuscripts and copies of work from libraries in Damascus, Istanbul and Europe, as well as bindings.
g) The Ahmed Zaki library: 18,622 bound works of which many are in Arabic but published in Europe.
h) The library of Al-Shanqyty; 1,409 calligraphic manuscripts principally concerned with Arabic linguistics.
i) The Library of Ali Galal Al-Husseiny; 8,636 legal and historical works.
j) The Library of Ahmed Al-Husseiny; also comprising 8,636 works, 3,995 of which are manuscripts principally concerned with the Shariaa; and the collections of many other donars, both Egyptian and foreign, who have continued to emphasise the importance of this library throughout the century.

It was in the basement of Moustafa Fadel's palace on the Darb Al-Gamamiz, where the diwan of schools, the precursor of the ministry of education, was lodged, that the first nucleus of the Koutoub khana was installed.

After 1889, these cramped quarters were expanded to include the ground floor of the palace. Ten years later, in 1899 to be precise, the first stone of the Bab Al-Khalq building was laid, a building which was to be inaugurated in 1903 and in which 54,000 manuscripts, documents and works were put. During the 1960's the continually expanding collection prompted the construction of the present building, situated on Boulac Corniche. Once the rehabilitation of Bab Al-Khalk building is completed and the new research centre for Islamic heritage installed together with the treasures of the National Library, the new building in Boulac will be used as a depository for modern literary works.

Until the World War I, the chief conservators of the Koutoub khana were drawn from the ranks of German orientalists who devoted themselves to collecting foreign works.

From 1914 onwards the post conservator-in-chief was entrusted to an Egyptian, the first being the great Ahmed Loutfi Al-Sayed, who served twice in this capacity, and was succeeded by thinkers and writers of renown: Ahmed Sadek, Abdul Hamid Abou-Heif, Ahmed Assad Barrade, Mansour Fahmy, Amin Mounir Qandil and too many others.

The legislation establishing and governing the Koutoub khana has evolved from its foundation in 1869 until today. Initially the library was to serve engineers and directors of education as well as students. The following year a new law divided the structure into four departments:
a) printed works in Arabic and foreign languages.
b) manuscripts.
c) engineering drawings and machines.
d) engineering equipment.

The four directors of these departments with the chief conservator and the Secretary-General constituted the administrative council.

Readers were allowed to study for six hours a day, but to borrow only one book, after first obtaining permission from the conservator. In February 1889, the internal functions were divided into two departments: one scholarly and the other administrative, the Secretary-General in charge of the register and registration belonged to the scholarly sector.

From 1911, rules proliferated in tandem with expansion. On 19th April 1911, the number of members of the council rose to seven, while the attention of the authorities was concentrated on works in Turkish and Persian. Twenty-five years later, in 1937, the number of members of the council rose to 13.

But it was in 1956 that a major structural reform was introduced by law 183 of 21 April. The National library became a distinct entity, with all it entails in the way of material and budgetary autonomy. New members were invited to set on its administrative council. New departments were created. Eventually in 1971 the General Egyptian Book Organization was created by presidential decree No.2826, and the National library thereafter formed a part.

From a general library, such as was conceived in the last century and had remained for many years, the National Library was modernized into a State institution. Moreover, from a lending library it evolved into a repository of intellectual, scientific and cultural creativity.

Henceforth its new functions were directed by four departments:
a) readers' services.
b) exchange of publications.
c) technical services.
d) library services.

Within this complex, rooms were reserved for the humanitarians, the sciences, technology, periodicals, state publications and those of public organizations.

In addition, raising their sights from being merely a general library to that of being a national library, the administrators decided to create a central lending library with holdings of 100 thousand volumes which would be comprehensive, in addition to the ten auxiliary libraries spread throughout the capital.

The catalogue of all the collections of the National Library during the past century, that is to say until 1969, was recorded in twenty volumes. Since that date acquisitions have been recorded on a card index.

Another catalogue which concerns only manuscripts has been established for the use of research scholars and specialists in the national heritage.

Since 1954 a national bibliography devoted to intellectual production has been published in various formats: quarterly, annually or bi-annually or every five years. It has also been decided to publish it annually under the title of Egyptian Publications Bulletin as is the practice in national libraries in other parts of the world.

Finally a network of scientific centres has been put to the service of the national library, like the bibliographical and information and documentation centre