Sharjah Public Libraries to give free access to 6 million digital books worldwide

All users have to do is create online profiles

Readers can access 6 million ebooks and electronic resources in more than 10 languages for free through Sharjah Public Libraries' online resource. EPA

Sharjah Public Libraries, an affiliate of the Sharjah Book Authority, is encouraging people to make the most of their time at home by offering them free access to its digital library for three months. People around the world, and of all age groups, can avail of the offer which is valid from April to June 2020.

The digital library consists of more than six million e-books and other electronic resources in more than 10 languages, including Arabic and English. This includes 21,000 scientific studies, a library of 30,000 videos in all disciplines, 160,000 e-books, 5 million academic dissertations and thesis, in addition to a collection of manuscripts, rare books and audiobooks. Some of the titles that can be found include Into The Water by Paula Hawkins, Don't They Know It's Friday? By Jeremy Williams, Thank You For Arguing by Jay Heinrichs and Skin In The Game by Nassim Nicholas Taleb. Users can sort through the books based on language, author, year of publishing and more.

To access the treasure trove, all users have to do is create profiles by accessing the online catalogue.

“The move is aligned with the cultural vision of His Highness Sheikh Dr Sultan bin Muhammad Al Qasimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Sharjah, and offers readers from around the world the opportunity to harness their leisure time in view of the precautionary measures that is being taken. Moreover, it emphasises that reading, learning, research can continue to prosper even under challenging circumstances, given the remarkable opportunities that modern technology offers,” says HE Ahmed bin Rakkad Al Ameri, Chairman of SBA.

“As Sharjah marks its year as the UNESCO World Book Capital 2019, this initiative strengthens the emirate’s call for continuous learning, and highlights SPL’s efforts aimed at providing the latest reading and researching options to all those who seek it, across the globe. The entity’s work to double digital resources started many years ago and has been translated into several meaningful partnerships and cooperation agreements with key international libraries that culminated in offering 6 million digital resources,” he added