The Director of Public Libraries Attends the Seventh Meeting of ECO Member States Library Leaders
Dr. Rafiullah Samim, Director of Public Libraries under the Deputy Ministry of Art and Culture within the Ministry of Information and Culture, led a delegation to participate in the seventh meeting of library heads from ECO member states.
During the event, Dr. Rafiullah Samim delivered an in-depth speech on the current situation of public libraries in Afghanistan, highlighting the positive progress made in the library sector since the Islamic Emirate's formation, and outlining the challenges faced by public libraries today.
The gathering, attended by representatives from ten Asian countries and organizations, centered on expanding digital archives, conserving rare manuscripts, and enhancing collaboration through sharing professional skills and experiences among member nations. Afghanistan also secured membership in the Committees for Library Digitalization, Education, and Research.
On the sidelines of the meeting, Afghanistan’s Director of Public Libraries met with library leaders from Uzbekistan, Türkiye, Iran, and Kazakhstan to discuss broader cooperation opportunities. The Turkish-developed “Kashif” library management system was pledged by Turkey to be provided free of charge to Afghanistan’s Public Libraries Directorate, along with professional training for Afghan technical staff.
It’s also notable that the Afghan delegation gifted a collection of books to all meeting participants.
11/24/2025
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