THE BIBLIOTHECA Alexandrina will open to the public at the beginning of July, Youssef Zeidan, chief librarian, announced this week. Originally scheduled for 23 April, the library's soft opening (after which it was to operate experimentally) had been indefinitely postponed following Israel's reoccupation of Palestinian land.
The library, Zeidan explained, is now in the process of organising a celebration to honour those who contributed valuable manuscripts and rare books, to be accompanied by the publication of a booklet introducing the donors and their contributions. In the next few weeks the library will also publish a book on its collection, Ismail Serageddin, the president of the library announced. Other activities leading up to the soft opening include the exhibition "Two Hundred Years of Dutch Architecture".