Dubai Public Library unveils educational programmes for children this summer

From appreciation for the written word to traditional handicrafts as well as workshops on courses such as first aid, the Dubai Public Library, owned by the Dubai Culture & Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), the Emirate’s dedicated Authority for culture, arts, and heritage, has unveiled its extensive array of summer activities for children, under the theme, ‘Expand Your Horizon at the Dubai Public Library This Summer.’ 

The activities will be held from June 24 to July 18, 2012, in collaboration with Government entities including Dubai Police, and Dubai Statistics Centre, in addition to other cultural and artistic organisations. 

All summer programmes are for children from six to 12 years, and will be held at the Dubai Public Library branches: Al Safa, Hatta, Hor Al Anz, Al Twar, Umm Suqeim, and Al Rashidiya. 

Abdulrahman Ibrahim, Head of the Dubai Public Library Department, Dubai Culture & Arts Authority, said: “For decades, libraries have been regarded as the cornerstone of education, imparting knowledge across a variety of subjects. Building on our founding mandate, we have once again launched a wide range of summer activities to foster enthusiasm and encouragement for learning among children. The activities are not only educational but also provide a fun experience which they can enjoy during the summer.” 

During the course of the summer, children will have the opportunity to learn glass painting, authentic Arabic calligraphy (Al Naseh, Al Diwani, and Al Riqqah), photography, origami, sand painting, and cupcake making, in addition to participating in an array of cultural competitions, storytelling sessions, and lessons on reading and writing stories.

The Dubai Public Library will also mark Mid Sha’aban (Hag Alilah), which denotes the arrival of the Holy Month of Ramadan, and is celebrated by distributing tote bags with traditional sweets, raw peanuts and salted chickpeas to children. 

In 2011, the Dubai Public Library welcomed over 7,000 participants including young children, teenagers, and adults, who took part in over 130 activities including educational training sessions and dedicated workshops. Over 80 per cent of the participants were children between the ages of 4 and 12 from more than 35 schools across Dubai, while the rest was teenagers, aged 13 to 17, and adults. 

The Dubai Public Library is open from 8am to 8pm, Sunday through Thursday.