Iranian Libraries Rebuild after Massive Quake

The worst earthquake to hit Iran in recent years was the deadly shock of magnitude 6.7 on the Richter scale that struck without warning December 26, 2003, in Bam, an ancient city in the southeastern province Kerman. According to official estimates announced in February,43,2000 people were killed, 30,000 were injured, and up to 75,600 were left homeless.

UNICEF reported in April that about 85% of Bam's housing and infrastructure had been destroyed. Recovery has been slow.Bam had three public libraries before the earthquake, built and maintained with the support of the Public Libraries Forum of Kerman.The Sayyadi and Motahari Libraries were completely buried under the rubble, and 95% of the collection of the Sabzevari Library was destroyed,according to the Kerman Ministry of Culture.Eight months after the quake, survivors are still suffering from the lack of fresh water, sanitation, and medical facilities. Authorities are setting a high priority on restoring these essential services, with the rebuilding of libraries and schools in Bam - a city with an 86% literacy rate - a close second.

On June 15, the Kerman government announced its intention to restore 49 schools, 30 kindergartens, 14 cultural centers including the libraries), and four rehabilitation centers.By mid-July, the only active public library in Bam was located at the central city mosque, with 15,000 books and 100 chairs reserved for those still mourning for friends and family. A South Korean nonprofit organization donated 20 portable libraries to be used at schools in Bam, while the Iranian Red Crescent reopened its library in March with 3,000 books, brochures, and CDs on relief and first aid, as well as scientific, literary, and artistic subjects.

Schools have partially resumed their educational activities, but according to Samaneh, a girl student in Bam, "many students have lost their interest in study or reading books because of the death of their dear ones. I personally lost my two brothers and my mother - how could I think of education while all my life was destroyed just within seconds?" Returning teachers must deal with the psychological trauma facing children like Samaneh and her classmates.The staff of the Iran National Documents Organization voluntarily offered one day's salary to help rebuild Bam's public libraries. In another effort, the city libraries of Qazvin donated 5,000 books to Bam students.

This made Qazvin's librarians pioneers in restoring libraries in the devastated city.Other contributions included 5,500 books sent by the Iranian province East Azerbaijan, $150,000 donated by Iranian and foreign publishers, and $100,000 given by Christian Iranians to the people of Bam. Many Iranian cultural institutions, including the Cultural Mementos Foundation, devoted much of their resources to Bam and called for active cooperation in rebuilding the city.

The Iranian Institute for Research on Children's Literature History proposed a plan to establish a new center that would incorporate both a museum and a library.Despite of all these efforts, rebuilding the devastated city is facing many barriers. On August 16, another 4.2-magnitude earthquake hit the area, one of the most seismically active regions of the globe. After eight months, many people still must live in temporary camps without suitable sanitation. All of these shortages have made officials neglect the public libraries whose books are still lying under the rubble.