Photo By Maj. David Olson | Citizens of the Doura community joined local leaders from the Rashid District Council...... read more read more
Subscribe
By Sgt. 1st Class Brent Williams
1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division Public Affairs Office
FORWARD OPERATING BASE FALCON, Iraq — Soldiers of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, and Iraqi security forces joined local civic leaders Jan. 21 to commemorate the opening of the Doura Public Library in the Rashid district, christening a cultural and educational landmark for the Iraqi citizens of southern Baghdad.
The public library, capable of housing approximately 10,000 books and a score of personal computers for use by Iraqi citizens and school children, is an indicator of Iraq's growing emphasis on education and civilization, said Zahra Hussein, media supervisor for the Doura Library.
Zahra, an active volunteer for schools in the area, said that she hopes the Doura Library will serve as one of many educational institutions created to foster the spirit of civilization and intellectualism in Baghdad and Iraq.
"The library has been opened today with the support and all of the good efforts [of the people] in order to promote the idea of re-opening public libraries in Baghdad," she said.
"We all remember how this library was destroyed due to the violent acts, and books were scattered all over the floor," said Hashim Dahash, Rashid District Council deputy chairman.
In conjunction of the opening of the Doura Public Library, Hashim said that he hopes Jan. 22 will become the Rashid district's official "Reading Day" for future generations of Iraqis.
"This [library] is considered as proof of security and stability, helping the people to return to their lives normally, especially the educational life," he said.
Rashid DC Chairman Yaqoub al Bakhaty said local leaders asked Col. Ted Martin, commander of the 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div., for help with a project for a new cultural center in the Rashid district, starting with the renovation of the local community building and the restoration of books and services in Doura.
"Iraq is developing every day, and this library is part of this civilization's development as a result of security provided by the Iraqi forces supported by the Americans," said Yaqoub. "This accomplishment is a result of neighborhood stability combined with the efforts of the Doura residents."
Staff Sgt. Aja Andreu, civil affairs team leader assigned to Company D, 404th Civil Affairs Battalion, deployed out of Fort Dix, N.J., served as the project manager and conducted the initial assessment on the renovation necessary to restore the building's educational services.
According to regulations, the brigade commander can only use military funds to renovate the structural parts of the building and could not buy the books or restore the services of the educational center, said Andreu, who is attached to the 1st Special Troops Bn., 1st BCT, 4th Inf. Div.
Working with the 1st BCT Embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team, the U.S. Department of State, and a non-governmental organization, Friends of the Library, Andreu hired a local Iraqi contractor to refurbish the building, acquired furniture from a local carpenter and restored a children's room and a computer room with 15 personal computers with desktop monitors, and internet service.
She also acquired a generator for the Doura Library, which is open to the general public Sunday through Thursday from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Andreu said she used the NGO to procure the library's educational materials for public use, and that nearly 1,000 children books and more than 150 adult education books are on back order to complete the project started in September of 2008.
"I would like to thank everybody who helped make this happen," said Andreu. "It is a special day for me. This has been a very hard project, and it has taken a lot of work by both the military and the residents of Doura."
Andreu, who hails from North Plainfield, N.J., said that she hopes the library will soon become a public institution for the benefit of all of Rashid's citizens.
| Date Taken: | 01.23.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 01.23.2009 03:15 |
| Story ID: | 29169 |
| Location: | BAGHDAD, IQ |
| Web Views: | 448 |
| Downloads: | 383 |
This work, Rashid district opens Doura Public Library with a little help from Raider Brigade, by 1SG Brent Williams, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
No keywords found.
LEAVE A COMMENT