Press Releases
30 Oct 2019
400k digital books at Sharjah Book Fair for People of Determination
(Al Rida: We are on the look for publishers and authors to support Dubai Audio Library)
For the first time, Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is taking part in the 38th Sharjah International Book Fair held in Sharjah under the theme ‘Open Books. Open Minds’ (30 October-9 November 2019).
Through its stand in the fair, RTA is exhibiting Dubai Audio Library initiative launched last December by HH Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and Chairman of the Executive Council, in conjunction with Bookshare (an accessible online library).
“We are excited to participate for the first time in this international book fair, which we view as a great opportunity to promote Dubai Audio Library rolled out in cooperation with Bookshare. The aim of the library is to offer equal educational and cultural opportunities to the people of determination, especially those who are visually impaired, or dyslexic. The participation reflects RTA’s commitment to its social responsibility values,” said Yousef Al Rida, CEO of RTA’s Corporate Administrative Support Services Sector.
Exhibiting Dubai Audio Library enables access to download as much as 400 thousand books in Arabic language, rendering it the biggest accessible Arabic e-library in the world. The library offers books written in audio format, Braille and capital letters. About 820 international publishers and volunteers from Dubai contributed to the library.
“Our participation is driven by the profile of Sharjah Book Fair and its appeal to a broad spectrum of publishers, authors and volunteers who can have the potential of contributing books to enrich our library and better serve its humanitarian objectives. To register as members, people of determination need to sign-up through the website and use a reading device to browse the contents of the library. Users can read using their favourite devices, such as smartphones, tablets, computers, Chromebooks, assistive technologies, and others.
RTA had already converted written books into audiobooks, thanks to the contribution of volunteering employees via the Audio Books Kiosk. Such books were then donated to organisations serving people of determination such the Emirates Association of the Visually Impaired in Sharjah.
“Dubai Audio Library initiative aims to enlighten and educate visually impaired individuals, whose number is as much as 7 million across the Arab world. We are seeking to engage more than ten thousand volunteers in the region to enhance the scope of our audio library,” concluded Al Rida.