ShareWhen Fahad walks through the halls of the National Library of Kuwait, he doesn’t just see books and shelves — he sees a living testament to the country’s cultural development. Through his daily job as the Administrative Coordinator in the Periodicals Department, Fahad feels deeply connected to Kuwait’s past. “It’s like our history is preserved through pages, through the writings of people,” he said.
For 112 years, the library has been a haven of rare and valuable knowledge, and a trusted resource for researchers, authors, and students alike. Fahad expressed his gratitude for this national treasure, which he fondly calls “a cultural hub”.
Amid the library’s serene atmosphere, Fahad finds a sense of peace, occasionally disrupted by the murmur of students studying or researchers seeking information. “It’s mostly quiet here,” he noted. The library, open from 8:30 am to 1:30 pm, welcomes all who seek to expand their knowledge.
He recalled meeting a regular visitor who meticulously collected data from old newspapers about Kuwaiti football team scores. “He used to come here every single day, once giving me an early draft of his book, a pile of paper, to help him with his research,” Fahad recounted.
Echoes of the past
Countering the common saying, “Who reads anymore?”, Fahad views libraries as an essential pillar of every country. “I can’t imagine a world without a library,” he said passionately. For him, libraries are great places to find information beyond what’s available on the Internet.
The National Library of Kuwait exemplifies this with its vast collections, Fahad explained. From archives of local and regional newspapers — including first editions of Kuwait Times newspaper and Al-Arabi magazine and all volumes of the country’s official gazette Kuwait Al-Youm — to its audiovisual department, housing cassettes and vintage video recordings, including of theatrical performances, the library is a vault of cultural riches.
There’s even a hall named “Kuwaitna”, which Fahad said has everything you need to know about Kuwait, from geography and history to rulers and notable personalities. The library has received donations from Kuwaiti intellectual elites enriching its holdings even further.
Heading towards digitization
Retrieving information from these archives, however, can be time-consuming. Information or data is mostly retrieved using the microfilm system, which is a device that allows viewing archived materials in a specific format requiring manual inspection, Fahad explained. “We have to look page by page.”
To address these challenges, he shared the library is modernizing its operations by digitizing its collections. Books are already being digitized, and plans are underway to expand this effort to magazines and newspapers.
In many ways, the library also supports contemporary creators. On the ground floor, authors can apply for International Standard Book Numbers (ISBNs) and copyright their work. “So, if you’re an author and you need an ISBN, we have copyright services,” Fahad said.
According to Fahad, the library isn’t just about books or archives; it fosters cultural exchanges and partnerships, collaborating with cultural attachés from embassies — Chinese, Japanese and even Turkmen. “We hope to continue this kind of interaction with people from all over the world,” he commented.
Fahad sees the national library as a place that inspires and cultivates a love for reading. “To encourage people to read? That’s my personal goal.”
