Morocco

Libraires Without Borders collaborated with the NGO Dar Al-Ma’mûn and a young moroccan patron to create 3 libraries, two of which opened in 2011. Most of the books were bought locally – 70% of books for the youth library are in Arabic. The books come from all over the Arab world: from Morocco to Lebanon or even Saudi Arabia. In addition, LWB also made a small book donation.

The most ambitious projects which is in the process of being built today is a cultural center which will include the resident artists (who have immediately and already received the Aschberg label from UNESCO), exhibition and conference spaces, a literary translation hub and a library of 20,000 works.

Playing an important role for “scholars” with a strong focus on the themes of translation and aesthetics, the library is also meant to serve as a public library for all the villagers and will allow:

• Public reading and the opening up of village life and the surrounding area to accompany the improvement of literacy in the adult population and the spread of reading and access to information;

• Academic literature to complement the Marrakech University libraries, to accompany the work of translation centers and the artists in their creative processes.

Libraries Without Borders, in collaboration with Dar Al-Ma’mun, selected and shipped books for the libraries, organised training sessions for the personnel and counseled its partner on the implementation of the project as a whole.