According to the public relations sector of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO, a ceremony commemorating the opening of the library and documentation centre of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO was held in Iran Mall with the presence of Commission Secretary General Hojjatullah Ayoubi, Senior Advisor and Director of Commission Communications and Media Younes Shokrkhah, Deputy Minister of the Commission’s Communications and Partnerships Amir Roshanbakhsh, and Ebrahim Omrani, the director of Jundishapur Library.
“Both the library and the documentation centre will officially be in service as of today,” said Hojjatullah Ayoubi at the beginning of the ceremony. “We promise all those who were anxiously following the documents and books of this 70-year-old institution that they can now search for the information they want and find them in the library.”
“The books and documents of the Commission were not in good conditions, and I appreciate Iran Mall welcoming the Commission’s archive of books and documents with open arms.” Dr. Ayoubi said. He also expressed his gratitude for the passion and dedication Mr. Omrani and his colleagues gave to the fruition of this project.
The works and documents belonging to the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO also contribute to the history of the science and culture of Iran, and now they are accessible to anyone interested, as well as preserved and maintained.
“I congratulate our scholars on the opening of this center, and I appreciate the efforts of all those involved in setting up this centre,” said the Secretary General.
A Treasure Trove of Information
When asked about his experience aiding in the Centre’s establishment, Ebrahim Omrani, director of Jundishapur Library of Iran Mall, said that he was initially “confused and unaware of what exacting [he] was facing” when the Commission approached him with this project some time last year. “But when I opened the cartons of books I was handed,” he said, “I realized how priceless the archive truly was, especially the documents of the Commission. There are items in this collection of documents that are—dare I say—specific to Iran only, and are not found in the UNESCO Digital Library in Paris.”
The attempt to make the entirely of the Commission’s books and documents easily available to the interested parties was successfully made with the help and collaboration of Jundishapur librarians and colleagues from the Commission. Mr. Omrani mentioned how the UNESCO Digital Library collection can also be accessed from the Jundishapur library.
“This collection simplifies the work of researchers in the field of culture, and this library is at the disposal of enthusiasts and researchers with all facilities,” said the Director. “I appreciate the Secretary General of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO choosing to set up the library here, and we will use the facilities and resources at our disposal of to further develop this library.”
A Valuable Reference for Researchers
Similarly, senior advisor and director of communications and media Younes Shokrkhah also expressed his gratitude for the timely initiation of the Library and Documentation Centre of the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO. “The project was completed and presented in such a welcoming way due to the expert leadership and strong cooperation present during its completion process,” he said. “I appreciate the enthusiasm with which they welcomed everyone.”
And Mr. Shokrkhah continued, expressing his thanks to Professor Ebrahim Omrani, who is one of Iran’s leading librarians, and also congratulated the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO for being able to work with him on this project. “I am sure this library will become an important reference in the future and a great source of change,” he stated.
Many specialized and trusted personnel are already working on improving the Centre’s facilities, so there is no doubt that the place will eventually become a helpful source of information.
The Commencement of Commission Publications
Amir Roshanbakhsh, Deputy Minister of the Commission’s Communications and Partnerships, was also present in the ceremony and stated how glad he was to witness the official opening of the Library and Documentation Centre for the Iranian National Commission for UNESCO after nearly a year.
“The opening of this center is gratifying.” He said. “I hope that the library’s opening will make the collected documents and volumes available to everyone. Fortunately, the Commission’s publications have been operating for more than a year now, and we will no doubt add more books and volumes to this library’s growing archive.”
Cultural and literary researchers are welcomed to this establishment and encouraged to use the resources provided. One of the main goals of this Library is to make the collections stored within it available to researchers, and Amir Roshanbakhsh hopes that one day the books and documents of this Library will be digitally available so that both foreign individuals and Persian speakers can access this vault of knowledge.
As a final congratulation to the establishment of this Centre, Amir Roshanbakhsh showed his support for the digitalization of the Library, stating that with the evolving framework of modern communication and the effects it can have on publishers, can be “an important step in providing people with more access to trusted and informative academic sources.”
