The Bibliotheca Alexandrina BA , the New Library of Alexandria, is dedicated to recapture the spirit of the original, which was a spirit of learning, dialogue and tolerance. Similarly, the BA aspires to be:
- The world's window on Egypt;
- Egypt's window on the worlds;
- A leading institution of the digital age; and
- A center for learning, tolerance, dialogue and understanding.
To fulfill that role, the new complex of cultural and scientific excellence is
much more than a library. It includes a library that can accommodate millions
of books, six specialized libraries, three museums, seven research centers, three
permanent exhibitions, five art galleries, a planetarium, an Exploratorium and
a conference center for thousands of persons. One of the BA's focal points of
concern is the documentation, digitization, and preservation of heritage.
This project was initiated and implemented within the International School of
Information Science ISIS . Founded as a research institute within BA, ISIS
acts as an incubator for digital and technological projects, promoting and
nurturing innovations which view the encompassing aims of the BA as an end
goal. Hence, this project of digitizing one of the most important works on
Egypt —the Description de l'Egypte — fulfills an integral part of BA's mission.
Visit the BA's website www.bibalex.org for more information on the BA
complex, projects and events.