Palestinian Libraries
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Articles and Television Reports About the Edward Said Public Library
Mosab Abu Toha Since Oct. 7, 2023
Articles Related to Palestinian Libraries
Contribute to Palestinian Libraries
SRRT Resolutions and Statements Related to Palestine
IRTF Discussion Group, January 2020
“Libraries in Gaza: Between Despair and Hope,”
with Mosab Abu Toha
 Mosab Abu Toha at ¾«¶«´«Ã½Midwinter Meeting Photo by Mark Hudson |
At the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia on January 25, 2020, IRTF sponsored a discussion group, “Libraries in Gaza: Between Despair and Hope,” with Mosab Abu Toha as speaker. Mosab Abu Toha spoke about the situation of libraries in Gaza –including limitations due to the occupation, the destruction of libraries by bombing, and efforts to rebuild. He also described his work in creating the Edward Said Public Library. Mosab is the founder and director of the famed Edward Said Public Library in Gaza. In 2019-2020 he was also a Visiting Poet in the Department of Comparative Literature at Harvard University; a Visiting Librarian at Harvard’s Houghton Library; a Religion, Conflict, and Peace Initiative Fellow in the Harvard Divinity School; and a columnist for Arrowsmith Press. He is also author of , City Lights Books, Apr. 12, 2022. Regarding the Edward Said Public Library, the linguist and philosopher Noam Chomsky has written, “The project merits strong support from everyone concerned with justice and basic human rights.” Additionally, the library has been endorsed and promoted by the poet and essayist Katha Pollitt, as well as by the filmmaker, Michael Moore. |
- For a similar presentation by Mosab Abu Toha, with an introduction by Noam Chomsky, watch “,” at University of Arizona, Feb. 10, 2020.
- For a collection of articles by Mosab Abu Toha, visit the “” page at Arrowsmith Press.
- For more information about the Edward Said Public Library, visit Mosab Abu Toha’s Facebook page: ““
- To provide assistance to the Edward Said Public Library, visit :“,” Middle East Children’s Alliance.
Mosab Abu Toha in the English Department at the Islamic University of Gaza, August 2014.
Photo by Adham Al-Ashqar.
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Articles and Television Reports About the Edward Said Public Library
April 2020
Titles suggested by Mosab Abu Toha for the SRRT website.
Articles
Alghoul, Diana. “,” The New Arab, Feb. 28, 2017.
Chen, Joanna. “,” Cultural Weekly, Aug. 16, 2017.
Dreiblatt, Ian. “,” Melville House, Apr. 14, 2017.
Elia, Nada. “,” Mondoweiss, Jan. 28, 2019.
, Laura. “,” N World, May 18, 2017.
, Mersiha. “,” Al Jazeera, Feb. 10, 2017.
Khader, Majed. “,” Libraries in the Early 21st Century, volume 2; An International Perspective, edited by Ravindra N. Sharma, IFLA Headquarters, 2012, pp. 425-444.
Nabbout, Mariam. “,” Step Feed, Mar. 13, 2017.
Pollitt, Katha. “,” The Nation, Apr. 11, 2017.
Redazione, “ NENA - Near East News Agency, Aug. 8, 2017.
Zimet, Abby. “,” Common Dreams, Apr. 18, 2017.
Radio Interview
devoted to Palestinian Libraries, Feb.. 10, 2021. This is a recording of the radio interview with Mosab Abu Toha, the poet and founder of the Edward Said Library in Gaza, and with Ethan Pullman and Tom Twiss, two of the co-editors of the . The show aired on February 10, 2021 on KCSB Santa Barbara, 91.9 FM.
Television Reports in English
“,” AFP News Agency (France), Feb 26, 2017.
“,” TRT World (Turkey), Sept. 8, 2017.
Al-Safadi, Halla. “,” Press TV (Iran), Mar. 8, 2017.
Television Reports in Arabic
“,” Palestine TV (Ramallah, Palestine), Sept. 5, 2017.
“,” Al Jazeera (Qatar), Mar. 22, 2017.
“ Roya News (Jordan) in Arabic, Mar. 22, 2017.
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Mosab Abu Toha Since Oct. 7, 2023
Articles, essays, poems, by Mosab Abu Toha and interviews with him Since Oct. 7, 2023
“,” New York Times, Oct. 14, 2023
“,” The New Yorker, Oct. 20, 2023.
“ with introduction by Jules Gibb, The Progressive Magazine, Oct. 21, 2023.
“” [A poem], The New Yorker, Nov. 6, 2023.
“,” The New Yorker, Nov. 6, 2023.
“” [A poem], The Atlantic, Nov. 9, 2023.
“,” The Nation, Nov. 16. 2023.
“?” [A poem], in “Where Is Mosab Abu Toha? A Poem from Gaza in 22 Languages,” Literary Hub, Nov. 21, 2023.
”,” Democracy Now!, Dec. 7, 2023.
“,” The Progressive Magazine, Nov. 30, 2023.
“,” with David Remnick, The New Yorker, Dec. 15, 2023.
“,” by Mathew Gindin, includes poem by Mosab Abu Toha, Medium, Dec. 13, 2023.
“,” PBS News Hour, Dec. 22, 2023.
“,” The New Yorker, Dec. 25, 2023.
“,” CNN, Dec. 28, 2023.
“‘ Video by Mona El Naggar, Nell Collier, and Santiago Garcia Muñoz, New York Times, Dec. 31, 2023.
“,” Los Angeles Review of Books, Jan. 2, 2024.
“,“ Democracy Now!, Jan. 22, 2024.
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SSRT Programs 2015-2018
Discussion Group, June 24, 2018
"Assisting Palestinian Libraries"
 Seraj Library Project |
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This discussion group was devoted to various efforts to help Palestinian libraries. Speakers for "Assisting Palestinian Libraries" were:
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John Cassel, Co-chair & Treasurer of the , speaking about Seraj;
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Melissa Morrone from Librarians and Archivists with Palestine (LAP), speaking about and ;
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Tom Twiss from SRRT and Librarians and Archivists with Palestine (LAP), speaking about the and the Progressive Publishers with Palestine project.
See the report in the SRRT Newsletter for a description of the program and PowerPoint presentation.
Program, June 26, 2016
“Palestinian Libraries under Occupation”
with Randa Kamal and Diana Sayej-Naser
Cosponsored by Libraries and Archivists with Palestine (LAP) and SRRT, June 26, 2016
| During ALA’s 2016 Annual Conference in Orlando, the Social Responsibilities Round Table sponsored a program featuring two prominent Palestinian librarians: Randa Kamal, Director of libraries at Al-Quds University in Jerusalem and President of the Palestinian Library Association, and Diana Sayej-Naser, Director of the Main Library at Birzeit University in Birzeit, Palestine and General Coordinator of the Palestinian Library and Information Consortium (PALICO), who spoke about the special problems and issues encountered by Palestinian libraries and librarians, about what they are doing to address those problems, and about what the international library community can do to help. |  Randa Kamal (L) and Diana Sayej-Naser. Photo by |
Resources for the program
“SRRT: Palestinian Libraries: Resources: ” Audio recording with PowerPoint slides of presentations by Palestinian librarians Randa Kamal and Diana Sayej Naser at the ¾«¶«´«Ã½annual conference in 2016.
Articles on the program
, George M. “,” American Libraries, June 27, 2016. Article about Randa Kamal and Diana Sayej Naser with Youtube recording of their interview at the ¾«¶«´«Ã½annual conference in 2016.
Tom Twiss. “,” Intersections Blog, ¾«¶«´«Ã½Office for Diversity, Literacy, & Outreach Services, 2016.
Program, June 27, 2015
"Librarians and Archivists with Palestine: Delegation Report Back"
Cosponsored by Libraries and Archivists with Palestine (LAP) and SRRT
| Report by participants in the delegation sponsored by Librarians and Archivists with Palestine (LAP) which visited Palestinian libraries in April 2015. (See Librarians and Archivists with Palestine 2015 Delegation, “,” May 2015.) |  |
Film showing, June 27, 2015
The Great Book Robbery: Chronicles of a Cultural Destruction
 |
, a film by Israeli-Dutch filmmaker Benny Brunner, tells of the systematic expropriation of 70,000 Palestinian books by Israeli forces in 1948, and of the subsequent incorporation of many of those books in the collections of Israel's National Library. Hannah Mermelstein, who has done extensive research on this topic, introduced the film and moderated discussion. |
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Previous SRRT Programs
1994
“The Current Situation in the Occupied Territories and in Palestinian Libraries.” The program was chaired by Stephen Stillwell. Speakers were Professor Cheryl A. Rubenberg at Florida International University and Dr. Majed Khader of the Marshall University Library. Organized by the SRRT Task Force on Israeli Censorship.
1993
“Israeli Censorship There and Here.” Speakers were Jeffrey Blankfort, editor of Middle East Labor Bulletin, and Jay Murphy, editor of the literary magazine Red Bass. Presented by the SRRT Task Force on Israeli Censorship.
1992
“Intellectual Freedom Violations Arising Out of the Palestinian/Israeli Conflict.” Speakers were Israeli newspaper editor Ms. Michal Schwartz, Director of the Galilee Institute for Social Research Dr. Ghazi Falah, and Khader Hamide who has been fighting deportation. Presented by the SRRT International Human Rights Task Force.
1991
“Israeli Censorship, Library Closings and the Occupation.” Speakers were Palestinian-American librarian Noha Ismail from Minnesota; Nubar Hovsepian, adjunct professor at Hunter College, Israeli librarian and peace activist; Josepha Pick, law librarian at Tel Aviv University, and Israeli publisher Dror Greenfield. Presented by the SRRT International Human Rights Task Force.
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Articles Related to Palestinian Libraries
Titles suggested by Tom Twiss
Abu Toha, Mosab. “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #48, Spring 2021.
Aderet, Ofer. 2015. “” Jewish World-Haaretz.
Amit, Gish. “.” Jerusalem Quarterly 33, Winter 2008: pp. 7–20.
Amit, Gish. “,” Journal of Palestine Studies, 40 (4), Jul. 2011, pp. 6–23.
Bergan, Erling. “,” 66th IFLA Council and General Conference, Jerusalem, Israel, 13-18 August, 2000.
Elturk, Ghada “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #21, Winter 2002.
Fasheh, Mary. “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #48, Spring 2021.
Hamad, Abla. “” IBBY Palestine, Oct. 2014.
Hamad, Anan. “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #48, Spring 2021.
Hamilton, Stuart and Frode Bakken, “,” International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), 2007.
IBBY Palestine, “,” 2015.
Kagan, Al. “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #44, Spring 2016.
Kanaan, Lara, “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #48, Spring 2021.
Khader, Majed J. “,” Marshall University, Marshall Digital Scholar, 2012.
Kuntz, Blair. “ , CAPAL 16 Conference Proceedings, Canadian Association of Professional Academic Librarians, 2016.
Librarians and Archivists to Palestine 2013 Delegation, “,” Aug. 2013.
Librarians and Archivists with Palestine, “.”
Librarians and Archivists with Palestine, “Israeli Damage to Archives, Libraries, and Museums in Gaza, October 2023–January 2024: A Preliminary Report from Librarians and Archivists with Palestine.”
Librarians and Archivists with Palestine, , Jul. 4, 2013.
“,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #48, Spring 2021.
Mattson, Rachel and Tom Twiss, “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue#45, Winter 2016/2017.
Mermelstein, Hannah. “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #45, Winter 2016/2017.
Naamnih, Haneen. “,” Adalah’s Newsletter, Volume 66, Nov. 2009.
Natarajan, Vani and Hannah Mermelstein, “,” Informed Agitation: Library and Information Skills in Social Justice Movements and Beyond (Library Juice Press, 2014).
Palestine Emergency Committee, “,” April 14, 2002. Includes information on damage to libraries and other cultural resources.
Palestine Human Rights Information Center, “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #2, Winter 1990/1991, p. 52.
Progressive Librarian, “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #48, Spring 2021.
Progressive Librarian, “.” Issue #48, Spring 2021.
devoted to Palestinian Libraries, Feb.. 10, 2021. This is a recording of the radio interview with Mosab Abu Toha, the poet and founder of the Edward Said Library in Gaza, and with Ethan Pullman and Tom Twiss, two of the co-editors of the special issue of Progressive Librarian. The show aired on February 10, 2021 on KCSB Santa Barbara, 91.9 FM
Roberts, Deanna K. 2020. “”. Atla Summary of Proceedings 74 (December):pp. 32-57.
Twiss, Tom. “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #21, Winter 2002.
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Contribute to Palestinian Libraries
, Sponsored by and the Tamer Institute for Community Education. “Matloub (Wanted) seeks to raise awareness about issues facing libraries in Palestine and the political context in which they operate, while at the same time offering material support for the libraries' collections.”
, “PBBY's different activities address the children's right to books and education. Thus PBBY supports literacy and children culture, and encourages reading and the promotion of quality of books in Palestine.” For more information about this organization, see the
: “Our vision: Access to a community library for every Palestinian child and family. Our Mission. In partnership with Seraj Palestine, Seraj US exists to establish and enrich community libraries for Palestinian children and their families.”
“,” Middle East Children’s Alliance. “Your tax-deductible donation to MECA will ensure the Edward Said Public Libraries continue to grow their collections of books and offer literary activities for Palestinians in Gaza.”
. Following the destruction of the Edward Said Libraries in 2023-24, Brookline Booksmith began collecting funds to purchase and ship books to the libraries upon reconstruction.
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SRRT Resolutions and Statements Related to Palestine
(in reverse chronological order)
| Year | SRRT Resolutions and Statements | Outcome |
| 2023 | Resolution Calling for an Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza. Resolution endorsed by SRRT. | Defeated in Council |
| 2021 | Resolution on Damage and Destruction of Schools and Cultural Institutions in Gaza and Damage to Israeli Schools. | Rejected by the International Relations Committee. Not submitted to Council. |
| 2020 | Response to the Report of the Resolution Review Task Force. Statement by SRRT Action Council, pp. 1-9. | This SRRT statement was not submitted as a resolution to Council. |
| 2020 | , pp. 14-16. Resolution was the revised version of the 2019 Resolution in Defense of the Free Speech Rights of Palestinian Rights Activists. The revised resolution was endorsed by SRRT Action Council. | Without endorsement by any of the committees represented on task force, the resolution died. The original version—see below—was then defeated in ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council.* |
| 2019 | Resolution in Defense of the Free Speech Rights of Palestinian Rights Activists | Approved by the ¾«¶«´«Ã½Membership meeting, then referred to task force by ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council 2019. Without endorsement by any of the committees represented on task force, the resolution died. The original version was then defeated in ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council.”* |
| 2015 | Resolution on the Destruction of Libraries and Schools in Gaza | Defeated in ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council. |
| 2015 | Resolution on ¾«¶«´«Ã½Divestment from Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Motorola Solutions | Withdrawn by SRRT for technical reasons. |
| 2009 | Resolution on the Connection Between the Recent Gaza Conflict and Libraries | Adopted by ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council. |
| 2009 | Understanding Gaza - One Conference, One Book - ¾«¶«´«Ã½Reads | . |
| 2002 | Statement of Condolences by Rory Litwin, SRRT Coordinator, SRRT Newsletter, Issue #140, Sept. 2002, p. 14. (p. 15). | This SRRT statement was not sent to Council. |
| 2002 | . | |
| 1993 | Resolution on Israeli Censorship | This was a SRRT resolution not sent to ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council.** |
| 1992 | On Israeli Censorship | Passed by ¾«¶«´«Ã½Membership Meeting, then by ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council. Subsequently, it was rescinded by ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council.** |
| 1990 | Resolution on Israeli Censorship | A significantly weaker version was presented by IRC to Council. After further weakening, including deletion of reference to the Occupied Territories, ¾«¶«´«Ã½Council adopted a general resolution on censorship and library closures in the Middle East.** |
*For the history of the 2019-2020 resolutions defending the free speech rights of the movement for Palestinian rights, see Tara Brady’s “Councilor's Report from ¾«¶«´«Ã½Annual Conference 2019,” SRRT Newsletter, Issue #208, Oct. 2019; SRRT Action Council, “,” Jan. 17, 2020; and the IRTF report, “,” April 2020.
**For discussion of the complex history of the 1990-1993 SRRT resolutions on Israeli censorship, see Al Kagan’s article, “,” Progressive Librarian, Issue #44, Spring 2016, pp. 72-75.
Webpage last revised 4/10/2024
