ELIA Organises Academic Libraries Meeting

June 19, 2025 / 12:35 PM

Sharjah 24: The Emirates Library and Information Association (ELIA) organised the Academic Libraries Meeting at the Sharjah Book Authority (SBA) headquarters.

The meeting was attended by 25 entities representing higher education institutions, research centres, and specialised libraries in the UAE. The aim was to enhance cooperation and exchange of expertise among those working in the information and academic libraries sectors.

Developing academic information services

The meeting was attended by a large number of specialists and professionals in the library and information centres sector, providing an important platform for discussing common challenges and exchanging knowledge on best practices in developing academic information services.

The meeting included two main sessions, including the Academic Libraries and Research Centres Committee, which brought together the committee's chair, Dr. Abdulla Al Hefeiti, Assistant Vice-President, Libraries, Khalifa University, along with a number of library directors. The session discussed the committee's main areas of work and ways to enhance its performance.

On the sidelines of the meeting, ELIA held the Academic Libraries Committee’s meeting. The committee was launched during the first UAE Libraries Forum. The meeting reviewed its work, discussed developments in the sector, and discussed priorities for the next phase, contributing to the development of academic libraries and enhancing their role in supporting libraries and scientific research.

Enhancing academic libraries’ role

Fahad Al Maamari, Chairman of ELIA, said that through these unique meetings, the association seeks to enhance the role of academic libraries as centres of thought and knowledge production, enabling them to keep pace with rapid developments in information technology and serve the academic community more efficiently and innovatively. ELIA is proud of the level of interaction and participation from various institutions, which reflects the growing awareness of the importance of investing in knowledge.

Al Maamari added that ELIA is responsible for supporting and developing the library sector in the UAE and creating sustainable knowledge collaboration environments among all stakeholders in this field.