The fire of the Library of the Institute of beautiful Arab Letters (IBLA) is now only a bad memory. Indeed, the inauguration of the new library, a very important tool for university researchers, is scheduled for the month of October 2012.
This important renovation of a partially burnt down library has just been revitalized by the care of Mehdi Mabrouk, Minister of Culture who has just mobilized the competent services of the National Heritage Institute.
Founded and hosted by the White Fathers, the Ibla library is located on Jemaa El Haoua Street and it is frequented by many university researchers who find rare documents and thousands of references.
After a fire in 2010 in which a white father lost his life, thousands of documents were lost.
The animators of the library, notably Father Jean Fontaine, continue with the support of many donors and partners to reconstruct the fund and equip with modern tools the consultation rooms.
Among these partners, let us quote the ministries of Tunisian and French culture, the Institute of the Arab world as well as many other donors.
When reopening, the IBLA library will be equipped with a new server, a kilometer of shelving and a new index. It will also obey the latest standards in terms of public places.
A fire had destroyed part of the library on January 5, 2010. Father Gian Battista Maffi had lost his life during the disaster.
14,000 pounds and periodicals had been destroyed, but are today in the process of replacement.
For the record, the IBLA was founded in 1926 and the first issue of the review which bears this name dates from 1937. In addition, the Congregation of White Fathers has been present in Tunisia since 1875.
