Free Electronic Libraries Available in Jeddah Malls!

Electronic Libraries: Since 2023, several integrated automated service devices have been installed in Jeddah’s malls and commercial centres. These devices function as electronic libraries and offer simultaneous, free borrowing services.

Moreover, due to the ease of use of these devices and the variety of reading options available, readers have expressed a great deal of demand and appreciation for the idea.

The Saudi Library Authority launched the Manawul project, which includes these devices, with the goals of encouraging reading as a daily habit among Saudi citizens and offering a variety of choices to meet diverse interests and tastes.

A New Era of Book Borrowing

The beneficiaries will always have access to books because the handling devices facilitate 24-hour book borrowing. This is true for both returning items and checking out new books because information is easily accessible. Though Manawul libraries are technically self-made because they offer books in hard copy, their operational mechanism classifies them as electronic libraries.

One of the main objectives of the Saudi Library Authority, which seeks to offer library services outside the Kingdom, is the spread of these kinds of libraries throughout the Kingdom. This leads to the primary objective of creating an information society that improves the knowledge economy and the cultural landscape of the Kingdom.

Furthermore, Manawul libraries are crucial for enhancing community engagement and operational efficiency, contributing to the development of the library sector in the Kingdom. They support economic, educational, social, and cultural growth, advancing the knowledge economy and achieving sustainable development objectives in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030.

With a touch screen linked to an electronic server, the Manawul device allows users to freely access thousands of books, promoting reading as a new way of life in the Kingdom. Regarding the concept of a Manawul, it comes from a job that was prevalent in antiquity and dates back to 170 AH, or roughly 786 AD.

In that era, a Manawul was a person who delivered books to people who were interested in learning, and the House of Wisdom library in Baghdad was a trailblazer in the field, serving as a source of knowledge and science for the Arab and Islamic worlds.

Every academic interested in learning came to see it, and the Manawul gave him the books he was eager to read. In the present day, Manawul devices carry out this function.

Unrestricted Access to Knowledge

The installation of these devices is part of the all-encompassing digital revolution that the Kingdom is undergoing. The reading lists on these devices get updates frequently, which is a great feature for readers with a variety of interests and specialisations.

The borrowing process is made easy through a smart device-downloadable electronic Manawul application. The reader selects a book, decides on loan duration and arrival date, and returns it. The application functions autonomously and confirms the process’s completion.

Additionally, Manawal devices provide a vast collection of books on business administration, human development, science, technology, literature, history, and religion, available in both Arabic and English. They offer online access and subscriptions for unrestricted access to these resources, ensuring a wide range of specialised interests.

When using Manawul products and apps, with a state-of-the-art customer support system behind them, users won’t feel alone. It offers them all the help and direction they need, along with suggestions for reading material that aligns with their interests.

Project leaders aim to uplift all people and societal groups by providing easy access to books, as the Kingdom continues to integrate technology and digital transformation into society, thereby encouraging Saudis to read.

Ultimately, noteworthy is the fact that Saudi society embraced the idea with open arms, as evidenced by the demand for self-libraries—a novel concept that fuses modern technology with the cultural heritage of the Arabs.

The Saudi Library Authority spearheaded a groundbreaking initiative to bring people back to the garden of singing books and draw readers to libraries in general and self-manual libraries in particular. The initiative aims to bridge the gap between society and books at a time when modern technologies are ravaging all aspects of contemporary life.