| Library World | Habib Salama |
By his daughter Salwa Habib
Habib Salama was the first in the Middle East to realize the full and striking importance of a library magazine in the fields of educational, scientific and cultural, and the first to publish an Arabic periodical in the fields, (Library World).
His love for books, and his big faith in libraries as a means of educating and developing the citizen, started very early in his life, when he used to take his pocket money as a child and spend it on buying secondhand books.
Despite his weak sightedness, he took an extra job in the weekly journal “Al-Sabah”, beside his main job in the Ministry of Agriculture, translating and editing articles of feminine interest. His 6 years experience in this field encouraged him to write the first Arabic books of its nature “Beauty Culture” in 2 volumes.
At the same time, and in his government position at the Cotton Research Board, his main duty was the organization and administration of the Central Library of the Agricultural Experimental Station. There he left the great need of our research workers for well organized libraries for finding centers and accurate bibliographical services.
Afterwards, as permanent secretary to the Laboratory Research Committee, he edited and supervised the publication of the “Monthly Report of Work in Progress”, and commented on new books added to the library.
Meanwhile, he translated into Arabic the work of Gordon Waterfield “What Happened to France”, and compiled a “Glossary of Botanic Terms-English and Arabic” including 5000 terms.
He shared in the activities of the Cairo Library Association since its establishment in 1945, and was elected as its secretary. He took an active part in compiling the “Directory of Libraries in Cairo” published by U.S.I.S. Cairo.
He studied library Science in A.U.C. Cairo. And when Cairo University opened its “Library and Archives Institute” for the first in the admittance exam, and the first in the B.A. Exam. This was followed by an M.A. in Journalism.
As a library pioneer in the country, he had many plans for the promotion of librarianship, the most important of which was the publishing of a library periodical. That, he began in 1958, and aimed to create through it the full awareness of the new and most important role of the book, the library and the librarian in everything that concern their life.
Besides being editor to his “Library World”, he held the governmental position as Director of Agriculture and Documentation Section in the Ministry of Agriculture, editing the “Disciplinary Bibliography of Agriculture”. Then the last position as Director of the U.A.R. Agricultural Libraries, supervising library activities and techniques, including branch libraries in the city and rural communities.
During the period 1956 – 1969, besides his main government job and his editing to the Library World, he was able to achieve other activites:
Part-time jobs:
– Librarian, Al-Akhbar daily Newspaper, introducing the first journal index in the Middle East.
– Librarian, The Ministry of National Planning: re-organising the holdings of its library.
– Librarian, The Ministry of National Guidance: establishing the information Department.
– Director of Many Social Associations at Cairo.
Lectures:
– U.A.R. Armed Forces: Cultural Department, Group of Librarians.
– Ministry of Social Affairs: Librarians of Regional and research Libraries.
– Ministry of Agriculture: Courses for regional and research libraries.
– The Egyptian Library Association.
– Ministry of Culture: training courses for new librarians.
Reaserch, Papers and articles:
– Scores of articles on various aspects of Librarianship, especially about Public Library service, their concepts, techniques and administration published in Library World.
– A study of the theoretical and practical fundamentals of establishing a bibliographical center in Egypt. (Thesis presented to the School of Library Science, University of Cairo 1954. Awarded Distinction).
– Field study in the U.A.R. Ministry of Agriculture research Libraries. Report in 52 pages submitted to the
– Ministry of Response to formal request.
Books translated and published:
– Building Library Collections: by Carter and Bonk, published by the Ministry of higher Education.
– Public Libraries in American life: by Ernestine Rose, Published by the U.S. Embassy, publications department, 1963.
– What Happens in Book Publishing: by Chandler Grannis, published by Franklin Book Programs, Cairo, 1965.
Library Seminars:
– The UNESCO Seminar on the Deveopment of Libraries in the Arabic Speaking Countries, Beirut, 1959.
– The UNESCO Seminar on Bibliography, Documentation and Exchange of Publications. Cairo, 1962.
– Numerous Seminars held in Cairo by U.A.R. authorities on the Development and Extension of Library
– Services and Book Industry.
Books and Library Exhibits:
– Participated in many of Arab Book weeks held in Cairo, U.A.R.
– Launched the first “Library World Exhibition” on Library Services and Publishing Trends, Cairo 16 – 28 February 1967.
Countries Visited:
For the purposes of studying all types of Library Services, Library techniques and school Libraries, the following countries were visited: Lebanon, Syria, United state of America, United Kingdom, France, Netherlands, Italy.
Habib Salama died in September 1969, after a life of perseverance, patience and faith, and after realizing his hopes in the field of Librarianship, and changing the old public opinion that our libraries were not more than storehouses, and the librarian not more than housekeeper arranging books on shelves and wiping the dust.