Sabre FoundationHumanitarian Aid for the Mind

Strengthening Library Collections at University and Other Libraries in

IraqPresentation at the Society for International

Development (SID), SID-Washington Development Information Workgroup, November 14, 2007

Tania Vitvitsky, Executive Director

tania@sabre.org

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

Sabre Foundation

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

IRANIRAN

Baghdad

KUWAITKUWAIT

JORDANJORDAN

Mosul

Erbil

Al-Najaf

Kirkuk

Al-Kut

Al-Amarah

Al-Ramadi

Al-SamawahAl-Nasiriyah

Al BasrahAl Basrah

Baqubah

Kerbala

SulaymaniyahSulaymaniyah

Al-Hillah

Fallujah

Dohuk

Al Diwaniyah

KarbalaKarbala

Al-MuthannaAl-Muthanna

Al BasrahAl BasrahThi-QarThi-Qar

MisanMisan

WassitWassit

BabilBabil

Al QadisiyahAl Qadisiyah

Al-AnbarAl-Anbar

DiyalaDiyala

SalahaddinSalahaddin

NinavaNinava

Al-TaamimAl-Taamim Al-SulaimaniyahAl-Sulaimaniyah

ErbilErbil

DohukDohuk

Al-NajafAl-Najaf

SYRIASYRIA

Tikrit

SAUDIARABIASAUDIARABIA

TURKEYTURKEYDohuk University

Mosul University

Salahaddin University

Sulaimaniyah University

Kirkuk University

Tikrit University

Diala University

Baghdad University

Al-Mustansyriah University

University of Technology

Al-Nahrain University

Islamic University

Al-Anbar University

Babil University

Wassit University

Kerbala University

Kufa University

Al-Qadisiyah University

Thi-Qar University

Basrah University

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.

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Current Requests:

Rule of Law Advisor, Dhi Qar PRT. Materials to be purchased in following subject areas:

International (trade/criminal) lawConstitutional 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 monographs in the humanities and social sciences

Ramadi: wide range of materials for Central Library, two colleges, two hospitals and a number of schools

Sabre Foundation

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)