YAS member Dr Alaa Hamdon started the Mosul Book Bridge campaign with the goal of re-stocking Mosul University Library, which was destroyed by IS after their occupation of Mosul in 2014. He has been joined by YAS members and partners at University College London and Book Aid International to rebuild and restock Mosul University Library
“The library was the heart of Mosul University, and it was like a lighthouse of knowledge for Mosul. . . There were more than one million publications and books housed in the library, so [the damage done to the library] was devestating.” – Dr Alaa Hamdon
Book Aid International worked closely with Mosul Book Bridge to source new books specific to Mosul University’s needs and arrange shipment of these materials to Mosul- a considerable logistical challenge, as there are many security challenges to consider in shipping these materials.
You can hear Alaa discussing this project on BBC Radio 4’s Front Row programme via BBC iPlayer here (Alaa’s interview begins 19 minutes in to the show). To learn more about this initiative, please visit the Mosul Book Bridge website. If you wish to make a monetary donation to the initiative, please visit this page on the Book Aid International website.
