The National Library and Archives stresses the importance of its cooperation with New York University, Abu Dhabi to enrich the “Arabic Collections online” project with rare Arabic books. 

The National Library and Archives stressed the importance of cooperation with New York University, Abu Dhabi within the framework of enriching the "Arabic Collections online available to internet users on the project’s platform on New York university's website. In this context, the National Library and Archives presented to the University a collection of rare Arabic books from its Emirates Library, selected by experts of this field. The National Library and Archives' participation in this project came as part of a series of participations in many projects promoting cultural diplomacy and cooperation in local, Arab and international projects promoting the dissemination of world heritage thought, and contributing to making it accessible and available to readers.
In the first phase of the project, the National Library and Archives presented to New York University, Abu Dhabi a list of 112 rare books, with various titles and topics, and made digital copies of 90 books, 65 of which were available on the university's website, and work is still underway to publish the rest.
 On this project, His Excellency Abdullah Majid Al Ali, Acting Director General of the National Library and Archives, said: The cooperation between the National Library and Archives and New York University, Abu Dhabi aims to allow researchers around the world access to rare and valuable books to enrich scientific and academic research and knowledge activities.
The National Library and Archives digitizes the rare Arabic books selected from its Emirates Library according to recognized international standards to send them to New York University, Abu Dhabi to avail researchers and readers using its website access to them.
H.E. added: The selected books are among the world’s rare books, and are not available to the "Arab Online Collections" project participating parties. We believe that the accessibility to such rare Arabic books on NYU, Abu Dhabi’s website platform contributes to saving beneficiaries’ time, money and efforts. His Excellency stressed that these rare valuable Arabic books are the nucleus of the National Library and Archives’ Emirates Library’s digital material repository, which is being accomplished to be accessible to interested parties, and pointed out that this international project has gained the National Library and Archives’ Technical

Specialists great experience in rare books digitization and accessibility according to highest quality standards.
Regarding the importance of the "Arabic Collections online" project, and the National Library and Archives' cooperation with New York University, Abu Dhabi - Ron Berry, Senior Director of the University Library, said: "The New York University, Abu Dhabi Library is proud of its fruitful partnership with the National Library and Archives and their joint efforts to provide access to this project’s various books and resources. That project goes a few years back and witnessed a high-level cooperation and valuable contributions from the National Library and Archives.” It is noteworthy that the Emirates Library at the National Library and Archives includes a large number of valuable rare books whose rarity is attributed either to their very old publishing dates, being out of  Libraries’ stock, or their distinct subjects. The library plans to digitize these books in the future to preserve them as an intellectual wealth of invaluable scientific value.

The National Library and Archives:

The National Library and Archives of the United Arab Emirates was established under the Ministry of Presidential Affairs in 1968 upon the directives of the late Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, with the aim of collecting and documenting information relating to the history and heritage of the United Arab Emirates and the Gulf region. Forty years after its inception, His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE issued Federal Law No. 7 of 2008 transforming its name to be the National Center for Documentation and Research, entrusted with organizing UAE government entities’ archives. Later, the name was again changed to be the National Library and Archives in accordance with Federal Law No. 1 of 2014 issued by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.