Sharjah delivered a keynote address at the opening session of the American Library Association (ALA) conference in Chicago, marking the first Arab participation and the first participation from outside the United States in the conference's opening ceremony in 150 years. The event is considered the world's largest gathering of library institutions and specialists.
The participation coincided with the ALA's celebration of its 150th anniversary. The opening ceremony brought together more than 5,000 guests, including leaders and representatives of library, cultural, and knowledge institutions from around the world. Among the most prominent attendees were JB Pritzker, Governor of Illinois; Brandon Johnson, Mayor of Chicago; and Sam Helmick, President of the American Library Association.
Sharjah's cultural project, and in particular the "A Library for Every Home" initiative, received wide acclaim from American librarians and specialists, who expressed keen interest in the emirate's experience of bringing books from institutional shelves into the heart of the family. The initiative has successfully provided more than 42,000 Emirati families with over 2.1 million books.
Conference participants praised the achievements Sharjah has made on the global cultural stage, crediting the vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, and the support and oversight of Sheikha Bodour bint Sultan Al Qasimi, Chairwoman of the Sharjah Book Authority. They affirmed that Sharjah's experience in developing libraries, the book industry, and the publishing sector presents an international model for employing knowledge and reading in the service of human development.
Sharjah's participation in the conference was led by a delegation from the Sharjah Book Authority, headed by Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, the Authority's Chief Executive Officer, along with a number of directors of initiatives and projects at the Authority, to present some of Sharjah's most prominent cultural projects related to managing knowledge resources, facilitating access to them, and advancing the foundations of the book industry.
Ahmed Al Ameri delivered a speech during the conference's opening ceremony, becoming the first speaker from outside the United States to address this cultural forum. His message went beyond presenting the achievements of the Emirate of Sharjah, putting forward an Arab model that views the library as a living institution, reading as a community project, and access to books as a right that begins at home and extends to schools, universities, and public institutions.
"Sharjah believes in the role of libraries in expanding educational opportunities and building communities. As the American Library Association celebrates its 150th anniversary, Sharjah's public libraries celebrated their centenary last year — two journeys that affirm the enduring value of investing in knowledge. With the vision of His Highness the Ruler of Sharjah, libraries have become a cornerstone of the emirate's cultural and educational project."