The current political unrest in Egypt has taken a toll on a number of public buildings across the country. In a testament to its role in the community as a promoter of open reform and civil liberties, the Bibliotheca Alexandrina was protected from any damage by local youth, who formed a cordon around the facility.
“As for the [library], everything is ok,” reported Ayman El Sayed, deputy director of the Planetarium Science Center at Bibliotheca Alexandrina in a message to ASTC. The institution is currently closed to the public, but intends to reopen its doors as soon as the state-imposed curfew in Egypt is lifted. Additional photos of the cordon protecting the library and current information can be found on the Bibliotheca Alexandrina website: www.bibalex.org.
Mr. El Sayed received the ASTC Lee Kimche McGrath Worldwide Fellowship in 2010.
About the image: Local youth form a cordon to protect Bibliotheca Alexandrina. Photo courtesy Bibliotheca Alexandrina