In Defense of the International Language Collection

At the Detroit Public Library

 

     As of January 11, 2002, the International Language collection of the Library will cease to exist.  Due to funding cuts, no more foreign language books will be ordered or distributed by request to Michigan township libraries, and the staff for this section will desert the books that have been accumulated.

 

To suggest that the International Language Collection be continued, it is suggested one write letters to:

 

Dr. Wm. Anderson

Director of HAL(History, Arts and Libraries)

717 W. Allegan P.O. Box 30738

Lansing, Michigan 48909

Tel. 517 373-2486

 

Mr. Fred Martin

President of the Detroit Library Commission

Detroit Public Library

5201 Woodward Ave.

Detroit, Michigan 48202-4093

 

Below is a selection of some of the titles in Arabic at the collection.  I was impressed with the high quality of the selection and learned that in each language, the national library of the country is consulted for a representative sample of the best of its literature.

The Detroit Public Library was the only depository, west of the New York Public Library in Manhattan, of such books bought on recommendation of national libraries.

 

These books will still be on the shelves for borrowing at Detroit Public Library, Int. Language Collection, Parkman Branch, 1766 Oakman Blvd., Detroit, MI 48238

 

__________________________________________________________

 

A Sample of Some of the Arabic Books in the Collection

 

Ar BH127y  Al-Hakim, Tawfiq.  Diary of a Deputy Prosecutor in the Country

 

Ar (no call number)  Al-Hakim, Tawfiq.  A Bullet in My Heart(comedy performed locally by ATAG-Arab Theater and Actors Guild)

 

Ar BH127AI  Abd al-Aziz, Ibrahim.  The Personal File of Tawfiq al-Hakim

 

Ar BM98H9  Al-Hussein, Taha.  With Mutanabbi

 

Ar BS27552  Darwish, Sayyed.  In Front of the Composers and musical tunes.  Dar al-Awda, Beirut

 

Ar 892.78 b345m  Al-Tunisi, Bairam.  Memoirs of Bairam al-Tunisi and His First Poems.

 

Ar 892.746 M318m8  Mansur, Anis.  A Prayerbeads for Every Person.

 

Ar 892.7 N178z6  Ziyadeh, May.  Woman Researcher of the Desert.

 

Ar 892.716 D259w  Darwish, Mahmoud.  One Rose Less, Poetry of Mahmoud Darwish.

 

Ar 892.716 A244m  Adonis.  The Theater and the Mirror

 

Ar (no call Numbers)  Al-Ghitani, Jamal.  Azeiny Barkat

 

Ar (no call Numbers)  Al-Ghitani, Jamal.  Stories of the Association.

 

Ar  (no call Numbers)  Mahfouz, Nagib.  Nagib Mahfouz Complete Works 4vols.

 

Ar  (no call Numbers)  Ziadeh, Nicola.  Best of Arab Islamic Thought .