Eqlima Ali Dinar here.

On the banks of the Dubai creek, you cannot miss the Mohammed bin Rashid Library (MBRL) shaped like a rehl, a traditional wooden book rest for the Holy Quran.

The library has ten main collections: the General Library, the Map and Atlas Library, the Emirates Library, the Young Adult Library, the Children’s Library, the Information Centre, the Media and Arts Library, the Business Library, the Periodicals Library, and the Special Collections Library. In their information centre, you can find out more about scheduling library tours, reserving study rooms, exhibitions they have on display, and accessing the library’s special collection.

Now, let me tell you about the sections of MBRL that I enjoy the most.

Located on the ground floor, the general library offers a wide range of books, with over 100,000 titles in Arabic, English, and other languages. These books cover diverse subjects including but not limited to languages, history, philosophy, personal development, cooking, and sports. Simply select a book that appeals to you and delight in reading it in the numerous spaces offered within the library.

The children’s library is another favourite spot of mine in MBRL. The place is perpetually filled with the joyful sounds of children at play and their parents reading aloud to their little ones. There is a selection of 17,000 books available to choose from.

Children aged 5 to 11 can explore a variety of topics within the collection, which includes pop-books, atlases, storybooks, encyclopaedias, comics, and magazines. Additionally, they provide online learning options, computer games, braille materials, sensory books, and audio books specifically designed for children with special needs.

I also had the privilege of volunteering to help organize an international event back in March 2023, as part of  the United Arab Emirates University’s month-long reading festival under the patronage of H.E Mr. Zaki Anwar Nusseibeh – the Cultural Advisor to His Highness the President of the UAE Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and the Chancellor of the United Arab Emirates University (UAEU) – with the theme: “Teachers and Leaders as Lifelong Readers” (see here). Our reading festival was intended to mark UAE’s reading month, which takes place in March of every year, and to actualize the country’s vision of a reading nation with teacher-trainees, teachers, school leaders, teacher-educators at the forefront.

We were very privileged to have the MBRL as one of our venues for one of the events we organized under our month-long reading festival. We are so honored to have the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Awardee, Shaun Tan, as our invited virtual guest speaker.

This international event took place at MBRL, which commenced with a film screening of the Oscar Winning Film, The Lost Thing and was followed by a talk and an interview with multi-award-winning Australian artist, Shaun Tan, who joined us virtually.

A full house at the MBRL during Shaun Tan’s event.

Shaun Tan talking about his creative process.

The questions posed by Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal who serves as the Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at UAEU and Ms. Fajer Bin Rashed, my fellow PhD graduate at UAEU, explored Tan’s influences, his masterful storytelling, his illustration and filmmaking journey.

Ms. Najla Al Owais, my fellow PhD candidate at UAEU, served as the online host for guests who joined us virtually and took care of the technical side of the event, ever so efficiently.

Speaking of masterful storytelling, I must admit that  a guilty pleasure of mine is reading Young Adult fiction, and so the Young Adult Library is where you’ll usually find me when I visit MBRL – right next to the Manga shelves. With an extensive collection of 12,000 titles catering to children aged 12 to 17, the Young Adult Library encompasses various genres including fantasy, fiction, science fiction, sports, culture, biographies, and art.

Whether you’re driving along Business Bay or enjoying a leisurely cruise on Abra (Dubai’s traditional boat used to transport people between Deira and Bur Dubai) in the creek, make it a point to visit the MBRL so you can mingle with fellow bookworms and immerse yourself in their diverse collection of books.

Every Saturday, we are doing a highlight on the libraries around the UAE. Just in case you missed it, here is our #UAEReads post on the House of Wisdom in Sharjah featured by Eqlima Ali Dinar and Najla Al Owais.

About the Guest Contributor for #UAEReads:

Eqlima Ali Dinar is a PhD Candidate in Education Leadership at the United Arab Emirates University. Within her research, she explores topics such as research self-efficacy, and the wellbeing of teachers. Presently, she serves as a tutor in science and biology, as well as a freelance assessor for a Diploma in Education Studies. Initially embarking on her career as a cardiac nurse, she eventually discovered her true passion in the realm of education.

She held a position as an Educational Consultant, providing training to nursery teachers and directors. Prior to that, she had a career as a preschool teacher for nearly a decade. She completed her Bachelor of Science in Nursing at the University of Sharjah, followed by a Master of Education Management, Leadership & Policy at the British University in Dubai. She enjoys reading books, picture books, and manga. Among her other interests are crocheting amigurumi and origami.

About the Guest Editor/Curator for March 2024 [#UAEReads]:

Myra Garces-Bacsal has served as a teacher educator for 15 years and has led several research projects on reading and social emotional learning, diverse picturebooks and teacher practices, psychology of high creatives and exceptional people, culturally responsive and inclusive education. She is a quintessential lover and creator of booklists (see her Social and Emotional Learning bookshelf here and other publications below). Myra serves as the Assistant Dean for Research and Graduate Studies with the College of Education, UAE University. She is a self-proclaimed nerd who lives and breathes books and enjoys organizing events and festivals where fellow nerds converge and attempt to joyfully change the world.

Publications on booklists:

Garces-Bacsal, R. M., Alhosani, N. M., Elhoweris, H., Tupas, R. (2023). A diverse social and emotional learning booklist for gifted learners and advanced readers. Roeper Review, 45(1), 25-36. https://doi.org/10.1080/02783193.2022.2145397

Garces-Bacsal, R. M., Alhosani, N. M., Elhoweris, H., Al Ghufli, H. T., AlOwais, N. M., Baja, E. S., & Tupas, R. (2022). Using diverse picturebooks for inclusive practices and transformative pedagogies. In M. Efstratopoulou (Ed.), Rethinking Inclusion and Transformation in Special Education (pp. 72-92). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-4680-5.ch005

Garces-Bacsal, R. M. (2021). Of grit and gumption, sass and verve: What gifted students can learn from multicultural picture book biographies. In S. R. Smith’s Handbook of giftedness and talent development in Australasian Pacific (pp. 431-453). Singapore: Springer International Handbooks of Education. https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-981-13-3041-4_18

Garces-Bacsal, R. M. (2020). Diverse books for diverse children: Building an early childhood diverse booklist for social and emotional learning. Journal of Early Childhood Literacy, 22(1), 66-95. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468798420901856