Expanding Cooperation Between Public Libraries and Religious Centers in Kermanshah

Kermanshah – The director general of public libraries in Kermanshah Province and the city's Sunni Friday prayer leader stressed enriching authoritative Sunni resources, cooperation with mosques, and expanding book-reading promotion programs.

Kermanshah - The director general of public libraries of Kermanshah province and the Sunni imam of this city emphasized on enriching authentic sources of Sunnis, cooperation with mosques and expansion of reading promotion programs.

According to Mehr reporter, on Tuesday afternoon, in the meeting of Parisa Mohammadi, Director General of Public Libraries of Kermanshah Province, with teacher Mullah Abdurrahman Moradi, Sunni Imam of Kermanshah, ways to strengthen cultural interactions, develop library resources and increase the participation of religious centers in promoting study were discussed.

In this meeting, Mohammadi considered the greater connection of public libraries with Sunni scholars and cultural and religious centers as a basis for the expansion of cultural activities and emphasized on providing the possibility for all sections of the society to benefit from library services.

He mentioned holding book review meetings, introducing works approved by Sunni scholars, identifying local authors and providing resources related to the culture and thought of this community as the axes of joint cooperation.

Director General of Public Libraries of Kermanshah Province also pointed to the capacities of Amir Kabir Public Library and announced the readiness of this collection to produce cultural and religious content and implement joint programs with mosques and cultural centers. Programs that, according to him, can strengthen the new generation's familiarity with books and reading by focusing on children and teenagers.

Teacher Mullah Abdurrahman Moradi also emphasized the role of books in transferring knowledge, preserving the intellectual heritage and cultural development of society, and considered the free services of public libraries as an opportunity for people to have wider access to scientific and cultural resources.

Pointing to the decline in the tendency to study following the expansion of the use of virtual space, Imam Juma'a Ahl al-Sunna of Kermanshah emphasized the necessity of promoting reading from childhood and strengthening the link between libraries, mosques and scientific centers, and declared his readiness to accompany cultural programs and promote reading.

He also considered it necessary to enrich the resources of public libraries with authentic and approved works of Sunni scholars in areas such as interpretation and hadith, and he called the introduction of scientific, religious and mystical figures of the region effective in preserving the cultural heritage of the province. Moradi also emphasized the use of Friday prayer sermons and other religious circles to encourage people to read and introduce books.

In the continuation of this meeting, Kurosh Babajani, Deputy Director of Public Library Development of Kermanshah Province, referring to the activity of 85 chapters of the public library and the existence of more than one million and 200 thousand copies of books in the province, introduced these collections as important cultural capacities for citizens' access to study resources.

He considered the possibility of nationwide membership in the country's public libraries as one of the opportunities for those interested and added: promoting reading requires the participation of families, religious centers and other cultural institutions. Babajani also emphasized on designing joint programs to introduce scientific, religious and cultural figures and holding study and analytical meetings about their works.

In the end, the Sunni Imam of Kermanshah visited different sections of Amir Kabir Public Library and got acquainted with the facilities, activities and services of this collection to the members and patrons.