American Libraries

Miral Mamdouh Kamel: And here are the books openings where the scientists used to give the papyrus scrolls and books in openings having the same shape. In our modern library, of course, we've got openings having the same idea. These papyri really contained what referring to the history and the excavations and things related to God and the things they used to do for God and the religious rituals they used to do for God. God is—a priest seen—in the other part so really this is materials or things mentioned found in that place.

Sohair Wastawy: Once you walk in, you will see the entire reading room—the main reading room. It takes about 2,000 people at the same time and it's really one large space that is open, that is well-lit, without the sun coming in, and it's absolutely beautiful. This is actually my domain—those seven floors, plus all the special libraries. So this is where I spend all my time, trying to make sure that collection services are to the best of our abilities.

Naif Al-Mutaw: I'm the founder and CEO of Teshkeel Media Group. It's a company I started three years ago, based on a concept of super heroes I created based on an Islamic archetype that was nonreligious, kind of like Spiderman, Superman, and Batman, but based on Islamic back-story. And we launched our first book last July. Since then we've become the exclusive partners for Marvel, Archie, and DC Comics in the Middle East/North Africa region.

AL: And what are you doing at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina today?

Naif Al-Mutaw: I'm here to the launch the Egyptian member of the 99. We have 99 super heroes from 99 different countries.

Ismail Serageldìn: Who could turn it down? Who could turn down the opportunity of being the first Director of the Library in its new garb, in the new century, in the new millennium, to try to recreate—almost on the same spot—that wonderful adventure of the human mind and the human spirit of the ancient Library of Alexandria was? It was, after all, the greatest effort at intercultural dialogue, the pursuit of knowledge, the organization of universal knowledge, an openness to the idea of really promoting rationality, pluralism, dialogue, and understanding. And to do it again on the same spot, in a different world, with different tools, I think is a major contribution that Egypt is trying to undertake with many friends from all over the world and in a time where, regrettably, obscurantism, fanaticism, and xenophobia is rampant in many parts of world. I think libraries and books—both of them—have a wonderful future ahead of them. Libraries are going to be the portals through which people will go through that marvelous journey of discovery, whether it be to imaginary lands or historic past or to understand the marvels of science, it will all be organized by libraries but available online. More books.

AL: This is your secret room?

Ismail Serageldìn: Yes, there's always more books—with this and what's outside an what's in my conference room, I have about half my collection.

AL: It's not a secret anymore.

Ismail Serageldìn: It's my personal collection. And I believe that paradise is some form of a library, but a library with lots of books, in addition to computers.