Reviving the library of the University of Mosul

Makram Alkhaled, current Manchester PhD student is leading a campaign to transport 2,500 books to his home city of Mosul, to help rebuild the collections of the university where he studied as an undergraduate.

Between 2014 and 2017, Islamic State fighters controlled the city of Mosul in Iraq. They devastated most of the libraries in the city, including the central library of the University of Mosul. They destroyed and burnt books and valuable manuscripts which were housed in the library, before making it the target of an air strike which demolished the building and its remaining collections.

Following the liberation of Mosul by the international coalition, Makram contacted The University of Manchester Library to ask if there were any books they could donate to help rebuild his former university’s collection. In response, library staff have collected 2,500 books, weighing approximately 2.5 tonnes, which are no longer needed at Manchester.

Makram’s friends and colleagues have volunteered to pack and load the books for transportation, but they are currently seeking donations to cover the cost of transporting them safely to Iraq. You can donate to support their campaign on the University’s crowdfunding platform.