Sharjah's House of Wisdom is up for the title of Library of the Year at the London International Book Fair

The iconic building that houses the House of Wisdom in the Emirate of Sharjah, a futuristic social and cultural hub, has been named a finalist for the title of Library of the Year, one of the London International Book Fair's Awards for Excellence. In particular, it recognises the work of both organisations and individuals who demonstrate passion, creativity and innovation in the book publishing, publishing and accessibility industry.

The House of Wisdom was initiated by the Sharjah Investment and Development Authority (Shurooq), on the occasion of the emirate's designation by UNESCO as World Book Capital in 2019. Since then, it has multiplied cultural movements both in the emirate itself and throughout the region, through a collection of nearly half a million books, of which 322,000 are offered in digital format and 90,000 are books in a dozen languages. 

Researchers, students and the general public from all over the world can access more than 50,000 videos and 26,000 digital newspapers in person or online, making this institution a new cultural hub that combines traditional and digital sources of knowledge, while promoting access to interactive learning.  

It offers a vast and luminous space for access to knowledge, literary and scientific creation and its dissemination to all those who want to share it. It responds to the Emirate's ongoing quest for "a society based on the knowledge revolution", the best way to place the country among the most advanced in the world.  

The Emirate of Sharjah's House of Wisdom will compete with two other finalists in the British capital's book fair: the municipal library in the populous city of Johannesburg (South Africa) and the Fran Galovic Public Library in Koprivnica (Croatia).