library tourist reporting . . .

two more kabul library visits today! interestingly, at both places, we ended up getting into discussions about the taliban. i think that they are much on everyone's minds as we hear news of more incursions and with the present uncertainty of afghanistan's governmental foundations--the uncertainty creating a wedge that can be exploited . . .



first up: the academy of sciences. unlike so many places, the academy of sciences' library was neither bombed nor looted during the civil wars. the academy has an eclectic collection that dates back about 100 years and includes some extremely significant and fragile manuscripts. despite the name, the academy of sciences holds books and periodicals on other subjects -- high points are the archeological and literature materials.



both of these gentlemen recall wearing turbans and growing long beards during the taliban era. their female colleague in the library was not allowed to work when the taliban were in power, but the academy mailed paychecks to her home, anyway -- at least until the end of the first year, when the money ran out. she returned to work when the taliban fell.



and next: the ministry of women's affairs. predictably, this ministry did not even exist when there was a taliban government. the library is run by two women who work hard to keep things going, despite the fact that they have not had electricity there in over a week. they serve the staff of the ministry as well as students who come there to do research on women's issues.



this is the poetess after whom the library is called whose name i failed to catch (i am at a loss for not speaking dari or pashto on these visits - v. rarely do the librarians speak english. my pal, royce, translates). the ministry is in the process of setting up libraries in several provinces, all of which will be named after prominent afghan female cultural figures.



time and again, we enter these libraries--often unannounced--and are greeted warmly with tea and sweets. the staff take a tremendous amount of time discussing the collections with us; showing us around; and relating many disheartening stories about abysmal salaries, ruined collections, fickle government policies, discontinued training programs, and the lack of what
most would consider basic functional library tools (electricity, desks, computers, internet).



and yet i hear the other side from library colleagues here: of tremendous sums of money having been put toward the city's collections, to little avail. this seems some to have to do with corrupt intermediaries who ciphon funds for other purposes but probably more specifically with various fiefdoms that exist here. there is v. little coordination amongst funders (so efforts are often duplicated, to confusing effect) or amongst local heritage institutions, or even departments within institutions (as is the case with kabul university). when one initiative ends, there is very little follow-through to assure continuation of services (for example, internet access) or even preservation of data (so many stories of massive loss of critical information -- lists of holdings, translations, etc.).



it feels like a terrible puzzle, trying to determine how best to help--and how not to perpetuate more of the same . . .