Sabre Foundation
Humanitarian Aid for the Mind
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
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
TURKEY
Salahaddin University
Dohuk
Dohuk University
Ti
gr
is
Dohuk
R
.
Mosul University
Erbil
Ninava
Tikrit University
Kirkuk University
Erbil
Mosul
SYRIA
Kirkuk
Sulaimaniyah University
Sulaymaniyah
Diala University
IRAN
Al-Taamim Al-Sulaimaniyah
Baghdad University
Salahaddin
Al-Anbar University
Tikrit
Eu
ph
ra t
es
R
Al-Mustansyriah University
Diyala
University of Technology
Al-Nahrain University
Islamic University
Baqubah
.
Al-Ramadi
Al-Anbar
Fallujah
Kerbala
Karbala
Kufa University
Wassit University
Wassit
Kerbala University
JORDAN
Babil University
Baghdad
Al-Najaf
Al-Qadisiyah University
Al-Najaf
Al-Hillah
Babil
Al-Kut
Al-Amarah
Al Diwaniyah
Al Qadisiyah
Misan
Al-Nasiriyah
Al-Samawah
Thi-Qar
Thi-Qar University
SAUDI
ARABIA
Al-Muthanna
Al Basrah
Al Basrah
Basrah University
KUWAIT
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 selflearners 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
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)