Ministry of Culture Launches Public Library Rehabilitation Project Across Lebanon
Lebanon’s Ministry of Culture has officially launched a project to rehabilitate public libraries across the country in partnership with UNESCO and with support from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Lebanon, as well as the Chris “Loops” Seikali Foundation and MCN Build Foundation.
The announcement was made at a ceremony held at the National Library in Sanayeh, bringing together Minister of Culture Ghassan Salameh, UNESCO Regional Director Paolo Fontani, Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad, and Dr. Georges Chadraoui representing the two foundations, alongside library directors and cultural sector stakeholders.
Budget
The project targets all 57 public libraries across Lebanon’s regions, with the first phase covering 15 of the 53 libraries distributed across the country’s governorates. The work ranges from full reconstruction and refurbishment to expanding book collections and rolling out cultural programming. A $650,000 budget has been secured from various sources to get things moving.
Bringing People Back to the Library
Beyond the physical upgrades, the initiative has an ambitious people goal: public libraries outside Beirut currently draw around 125,000 visitors a year, and the project aims to double that figure to 250,000 within two years. The idea is that better spaces with more to offer, especially for kids, will bring people through the door.
Minister Salameh put it simply: “Libraries are not only places for reading, but also spaces for cultural engagement and diverse cultural activities, and free venues where people from different backgrounds and social groups can meet without discrimination.”
Libraries of South Lebanon
Some of the work ahead is more urgent than others. Libraries in Aitaroun, Majdal Selm, and Bint Jbeil were completely destroyed during the war and will need to be rebuilt from scratch. Salameh noted that prefabricated transitional structures may be used in the south pending a ceasefire.
It’s a meaningful step for a cultural infrastructure that has long been underfunded and under-visited, and a reminder that rebuilding Lebanon isn’t just about roads and buildings.
