Sharjah has allocated AED4.5 million to buy new books from publishers at this year’s Sharjah International Book Fair for the emirate’s public and government libraries.
The directive from His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Ruler of Sharjah, was announced by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau on 9 November.
What this means for readers
The purchases are intended to broaden library collections across languages, cultures and subjects. For students, researchers and everyday readers, that can mean more choice when looking for a new novel or exploring a topic beyond a course reading list.
Buying from participating publishers also gives those businesses direct sales while bringing their books into shared collections.
The book fair continues until 15 November
The fair is running at Expo Centre Sharjah from 4 to 15 November, bringing together 3,212 publishers and exhibitors from 126 countries.
