Rebuilding what was lost

Diary of Saad Eskander, Director of the Iraq National Library and Archive

In 2004, the Iraq National Library and Archive in Baghdad was set afire and looted. Dr Saad Eskander has been trying to rebuild the library's collections. The British Library has helped with this endeavour, and they present his diary regarding the efforts to rebuild.

In early December, Dr Eskander and his staff re-opened the library and archive, despite problems with the security of the area. May they succeed in providing the Iraqi people with access to the information of their past and fulfilling the information needs of their future.

This links to diary entries from November and December 2006. Reading it puts so much of what I grouse about in perspective. A five-day cover operation to get the salaries to the workers. Workers who are killed or whose families are being decimated. The knowledge that every time you walk out of the office (or sit in it for that matter), you could be killed.

It's amazing what they're doing under such circumstances.

Can you imagine this here in America--such chaos? It's very sobering.