Theban Mapping Project AUC Library Update

As I went past my Arabesque House the other day I saw they had put up the sign for the library. This is Kent Weeks baby and should be a great resource. He said

"There will be books on. Health, child rearing, exercise and diet, agriculture, Natural history, general and middle east and Egyptian history, arts and crafts, science and technology, fiction, etc, etc. We will have a few journals, such as National Geographic in Arabic. Donations welcome

I hope for an initial minimum of 2,500 volumes, an upper limit of perhaps 7,500, but that depends on the reception the library receives. If it becomes very popular, we would consider enlarging it.

We will also continue to poll our users as to reading preferences, and will in part be guided by their needs as we acquire books. At least 75% of the collection will ultimately be in Arabic. One room of the library will be devoted to Egyptology, conservation, and archaeological site management. We already have the start of excellent collections in those areas and have already an outstanding collection of topographic, geological, and cadastral maps of Thebes.

We are buying one computer now and hope to acquire two more to provide access to our collection of CDs on archaeological subjects and online resources. (we are the only library in Egypt except for AUC to have access to Jstor).

We hope to have one female library staff member on duty to encourage girls to make use of the library and receive their father's blessing to do so.
Library hours are designed to fit local work and school schedules, so we will open 3-9 in winter, 4-10 in summer.

Our audience will include students from elementary grades through university, tour guides, antiquities department employees, Villagers, tourists, foreign residents."