Calling all bibliophiles, this Thursday (June 16), the seven storey Mohammed bin Rashid Library (MBRL) will open on Dubai Creek and appears to be shaped like an open book. However, the building has been specifically designed to look like a rehl, a traditional wooden book rest that is used to hold the holy Quran.
Entry to the library is free but visitors must download the MBRL app and register for a time slot to visit. The facility will be open from 9am until 9pm and will be closed on Sundays.
“Those interested will be able to register for yearly memberships soon” says Jamal Al Shehhi, Board member of the MBRL.
Don’t mistake the height of this building for its quantity of literature. While seven storeys in height, this facility will hold over a million books and six million research theses.
His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai announced on his Twitter that AED 1 billion facility features nine main libraries. These include specialised libraries such as the Periodicals Library, Children’s Library, Atlas and Map Library, Media and Arts Library, Young Adults Library, Study Rooms, Special Collection Library, as well as the Information Centre. There will also be a temporary and permanent exhibit.
Visitors can expect to find a wide range of literature spanning 73,000 music scores, 75,000 articles, 75,000 videos, 13,000 articles and over 5,000 historical print and digital media journals within an archive covering 325 years. The facility also boasts 35,000 print and digital newspapers from across the globe as well as almost 500 rare collectibles.
A fully automated store will be available for the books and the Digitalisation Laboratory.
In addition to literature, the facility also holds a theatre equipped with the latest in audio-visual technology with a capacity of over 550 people.