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Sabre Foundation. Strengthening Library Collections at University and Other Libraries in Iraq Presentation at the Society for International Development (SID), SID-Washington Development Information Workgroup, November 14, 2007 Tania Vitvitsky, Executive Director tania@sabre.org.
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Sabre Foundation Strengthening Library Collections at University and Other Libraries in Iraq Presentation at the Society for International Development (SID), SID-Washington Development Information Workgroup, November 14, 2007 Tania Vitvitsky, Executive Director tania@sabre.org Humanitarian Aid for the Mind
Sabre Foundation The original Sabre Foundation/Harvard Committee on Iraqi Libraries Proposal included the following initiatives: Initiative I. Topical Core Collections and Basic Reference Resources (offered to all Iraqi university libraries and the National Library) Initiative II. Assistance in Collection Development for the Iraq National Library (particularly in the social sciences and the humanities) Initiative III. Infrastructure Assistance for Recipient Libraries
The original Proposal included the following core collections: • Core Collection 1: Establishing Democracy • Core Collection 2: The Ecology of Water and Related Topics • Core Collection 3: Foundations for Undergraduate Instruction in Science and Engineering • Core Collection 4: Librarianship and Library Management Sabre Foundation
Pro bono Contributors • Core Collection 1: Establishing Democracy • Sidney Verba, Director of Harvard University Libraries and Carl H. Pforzheimer University Professor • Jorge Dominguez, Clarence Dillon Professor of International Affairs and Chair of the Center for International Affairs at Harvard • Peter A. Hall, Krupp Professor of European Studies, Harvard • Robert Putnam, Malkin Professor of Public Policy, Harvard • Grezgorz Ekiert, Professor of Government, Harvard • Henry Brady, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of California, Berkeley • Kay Schlozman, Markey Professor of Political Science, Boston College Sabre Foundation
The Recently-Completed United States Institute for Peace (USIP)-Funded Project: • USIP tasked Sabre with providing collections of books in three subject areas under the rubric of “Democratization” to 20 university libraries in Iraq: • Constitutional Design; • Multi-Ethnic, Multi-Religious Countries; • Truth and Reconciliation Processes. • The following slide includes map with location of universities noted. Sabre Foundation
Sabre Foundation • Shipments Completed (2006 - Nov. 2007) • More than 35,000 new books and CD-ROMs, selected by recipients, were sent to the following institutions, through non-profit partner organizations in Iraq: • University of Mosul • University of Dohuk • University of Erbil, along with other universities and technical institutes • Shipment in Preparation: • Zakho College
Sabre Foundation • MIT’s OpenCourseWare (OCW) • Also included in the shipments were two OCW “Mirror Sites” (hard drives with installation and operating instructions) donated to University of Mosul and University of Dohuk. Additional universities have requested OCW “Mirror Sites”. • With over 1700 courses published as of November 2007, OCW provides free, searchable access to MIT’s course materials for educators, students and self-learners worldwide.
Sabre Foundation • Current Requests: • Rule of Law Advisor, Dhi Qar PRT. Materials to be purchased in following subject areas: • International (trade/criminal) law • Constitutional law • Comparative law (civil/common law) • Treaties and conventions, codes, etc. • Arabic/English legal dictionaries • National Library and Archive: law titles/collections (in Arabic and English) and academic monographsin the humanities and social sciences • Ramadi: wide range of materials for Central Library, two colleges, two hospitals and a number of schools
Requests (continued): • Additional shipment for Mosul University • Additional shipment for universities and technical institutes in the Kurdish north • Medical book shipment for medical schools in Baghdad, Anbar and Diwaniyia • University of Baghdad • Al-Mustanseryia University in Baghdad • University of Anbar Sabre Foundation
For an in-depth analysis of the current state of libraries in Iraq, please see: • “Iraqi Libraries and Archives in Peril: Survival in a Time of Invasion, Chaos, and Civil Conflict, A Report,” by Jeff Spurr, a member of Sabre’s Advisory Committee. Spurr is the Islamic and Middle East Specialist, Aga Khan Program for Islamic Architecture, Harvard University. The report can be found at: • http://archnet.org/library/documents/one-document.jsp?document_id=10241 • Tania Vitvitsky, Executive Director (tania@sabre.org) Sabre Foundation