The National Library of Jordan… From Safeguarding Memory to Shaping the Knowledge Future
Al-Darabah: The National Library plays a pivotal role in protecting the national memory, strengthening cultural identity, and producing knowledge.
Al-Darabah: We seek to empower civil society institutions and intellectual initiatives by expanding their role in preserving and safeguarding national heritage and enhancing participation in comprehensive cultural development.
Al-Darabah: An institutional development roadmap focused on advancing the Library’s professional and technical infrastructure.
Amman – Al-Oula / Interview by the Editor-in-Chief
The Director General of the National Library of Jordan Dr Firas Al-Darabah, stated that in the twenty-first century national libraries are no longer merely repositories of books or silent archives of documents; rather, they have evolved into sovereign knowledge institutions that play a central role in safeguarding national memory, strengthening cultural identity, producing knowledge, and keeping pace with rapid digital transformations.
In a comprehensive press interview with Al-Oula Magazine, he added that within this context, the National Library of Jordan stands out as an advanced institutional model that combines legislative authenticity with a forward-looking vision. He explained that the Library seeks to enable civil society institutions and intellectual initiatives to fully benefit from its services, expand its role in preserving and safeguarding national heritage, and enhance participation in comprehensive cultural development.
Al-Darabah noted that the Library is building on the achievements of previous administrations by developing the work environment and strengthening its role as the memory of the state and a national reference for knowledge and information. He emphasized that this phase represents a starting point for expanding administrative and technical modernization, building a more integrated system for legal deposit services, digital transformation, and the protection of national documentary heritage.
He further explained that during the coming phase, the Library aims to develop an institutional development roadmap focused on enhancing its professional and technical infrastructure, expanding national partnerships, supporting the legal deposit system, and activating digital transformation in alignment with government plans for smart transformation and information management.
He affirmed that the Library is working to enhance the readiness of its human resources through specialized training, improving the service environment, and developing cultural and knowledge content to serve researchers, authors, publishers, and the general public alike.
The National Library: The State’s Memory and Documentary Conscience
Al-Darabah emphasized that the Department undertakes a sovereign national role as the officially accredited body responsible for preserving Jordan’s national memory. This is achieved through collecting, organizing, and safeguarding intellectual, cultural, and documentary output—whether official or private, printed or digital.
He added that this includes books and manuscripts, newspapers and periodicals, government and private documents, as well as audio-visual materials, thereby ensuring the professional and impartial documentation of national history and safeguarding the right of future generations to access reliable knowledge sources.
From Prior Censorship to Knowledge Preservation
Al-Darabah explained that Jordan’s publishing system has undergone fundamental transformations since 2007, when prior censorship of books was abolished following amendments to the Press and Publications Law. Oversight became post-publication, within the jurisdiction of the Media Commission. This shift positively reflected on the role of the National Library, whose focus became centered on preservation and documentation rather than prohibition or censorship.
Within this framework, an official committee was formed in 2009, chaired by the Minister of Culture, to review certain types of books with national sensitivity, striking a balance between freedom of publication and the protection of public interest, and affirming the National Library’s role as a regulatory—not supervisory—institution.
He noted that the year 2025 marked a pivotal stage in the journey of the National Library, during which efforts were made to translate vision into tangible achievements, move from improving service levels to developing them, and from development to leadership in knowledge management and national memory preservation.
He explained that the Library succeeded in laying the foundational building blocks for a technological and knowledge transformation that enhances its position as a leading national reference in cultural and informational heritage, in step with modern transformations in the global information environment.
A Vision Translated into Policies and Programs
Regarding the practical translation of the Library’s vision, Al-Darabah stated that this is being achieved through a package of national programs and projects, most notably the Unified Jordanian National Bibliographic Index, which represents a qualitative leap in providing access to knowledge sources and linking Jordanian libraries within a single integrated system. This is in addition to national archiving projects for government and private documents, training and capacity-building programs in documentation, archiving, and document preservation, as well as specialized conferences and seminars in intellectual property, the right to access information, data protection, and digital archiving.
Digital Archiving: Protecting Memory in the Digital Age
In the field of digital archiving, Al-Darabah affirmed that the National Library places top priority on the digital archiving project, which is considered a long-term strategic initiative. The Department has made significant progress in digitizing documents and manuscripts of historical and national value in accordance with internationally recognized standards, and in line with UNESCO recommendations and the “Memory of the World” program.
He added that digital archiving is not merely a technical option, but a national necessity to protect documents from damage and loss, and to ensure sustainable access to them within a secure digital environment.
The National Library and Cultural Identity
Al-Darabah pointed out that the National Library plays a pivotal role in strengthening Jordanian cultural identity through preserving the Jordanian national narrative, documenting the history of the state and its institutions, supporting researchers, historians, and university students, and organizing documentary exhibitions that re-read history from its original sources. This role contributes to consolidating national belonging, enhancing collective awareness, and confronting attempts at historical distortion or falsification.
Advanced Services for Researchers and the Academic Community
Al-Darabah spoke about the qualitative services provided by the National Library, which include providing access to documents and manuscripts within legal frameworks, offering national databases and bibliographic indexes, supporting scientific research, cooperating with universities and research centers, and organizing specialized training workshops and scientific seminars.
He affirmed that the National Library is keen to expand cooperation with local and international institutions, particularly national libraries, archival centers, and international organizations concerned with documentary heritage. This enhances the exchange of expertise, unifies professional standards, and consolidates Jordan’s presence on the global cultural scene.
Challenges and Future Outlook
Regarding challenges and future outlook, Al-Darabah stated that despite the achievements made, the National Library faces challenges related to the rapid pace of digital transformation, the growing volume of documentary content, the need for specialized human and technical resources, and ensuring intellectual property protection and combating piracy.
He added that the future holds promising opportunities in light of evolving legislation, growing societal awareness of the importance of knowledge, and the expansion of institutional cooperation.
He concluded by stating that the National Library of Jordan today is not a traditional archival institution, but rather a sovereign knowledge pillar, a bridge connecting the past with the present, and a platform for shaping a sustainable cultural and knowledge future that preserves national memory, safeguards identity, and serves the Jordanian people.
