Syracuse media library

NLT is set to implement a project whose aim is to save the threatened written heritage, conserve and maintain its rich holdings, address the lack of equipment and instruments needed for restoration and binding, and to improve the performance of laboratories and workshops. The concerned documents undergo a continuous process of natural decay due to the presence of various organic materials. A large number of documents are torn of affected by such hazards as humidity, termites, metal sulfates as many of the manuscripts were written in metal-based inks (between the fourteenth and the nineteenth centuries). Such inks seep into paper and the text becomes illegible, the paper easily torn at the slightest handling. Printed books require special attention because the earliest go back to the sixteenth century. Periodicals, on the other hand, are printed on highly acid paper that becomes brittle and may even crumble away within a few years if not properly treated. We, at NLT, consider periodicals as our top priority because many of the collections only exist in the National Library, at least as a complete set.

Restoration and binding are meticulous manual operations that require a great deal of patience, expertise, and accuracy. Its aim is to restore high-value manuscript and printed documents to a condition that is as close as possible to the original. Given that conservation needs are many and diverse, NLT strives to implement its project aimed at saving the threatened written heritage by addressing the lack of restoration and bookbinding equipment and tools and by improving the performance of laboratories and workshops.

The project’s aim is to ensure document sustainability and continuation so that future generations may consult and benefit from the restored document. The project also supports the higher education and scientific research sector by providing training and internships to university students in the field (Documentation Institute, Islamic Civilization Institute, Arts Institute). NLT has made a proposal to the Ministry to set up a national center within the Library specialized in restoring various cultural artefacts that would allow this country to be a pioneer in cultural restoration in North Africa and the Middle East.