SCHS ORGANIZED (SOUQ AL-WARRAQEEN FOR USED BOOKS) EXCEPTIONALLY FOR THREE CONSECUTIVE DAYS
Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), has organized at its headquarters in the Yarmouk area Sharjah, (Souq Al-Warraqeen for Used Books), amidst a turnout from the community for three consecutive days, from 12 to 14 November 2020. Later on, SCHS would organize the activity on the first Saturday of every month, after taking the highest level of security, prevention and safety measures, and taking into account the capacity of the place.
A cultural and informative role
The exhibition is a continuation of the cultural and informative role that SCHS plays towards persons with disabilities and society in general. SCHS is keen to organize events directed to all members of society, believing in the collaboration of efforts and consolidating the relationships of cooperation with local, Arab and international institutions.
A successful continuation of the Used Book Festival
(Souq Al-Warraqeen) with its contents of general knowledge and religious books, social and literary sciences, fine arts and other fields, offered to the public at reasonable prices, is the successful and optimal continuation of the Used Book Festival. SCHS has been organizing Used Book Festival (periodically) since 2006. It has now become a permanent exhibition for used books. SCHS calls it (Souq Al-Warraqeen for Used Book). It receives visitors on the first Saturday of every month.
SCHS meets the demands of the public
The exhibition represents a response to the many requests received from the community following the great success of the Used Book Festival since its early days until the seventh edition (Get a book. enlighten a path), which witnessed the display of one million books and was among the activities of Sharjah, the World Book Capital.
An additional financial resource
(Souq Al-Warraqeen) constituted an additional financial resource to support the programs offered by SCHS to people with disabilities, and at the same time, it provides job opportunities for persons with disabilities that contribute to their economic empowerment. Here, we should refer to the environmental role of SCHS through (Souq Al-Warraqeen) and its contribution to the process of recycling damaged books and making use of them in useful industries.
SCHS is always ready to cooperate
Because of the current circumstances, and out of SCHS’s keenness to spread knowledge to all members of society, it will be ready to cooperate with universities and parties wishing to organize (Souq Al-Warraqeen) within their headquarters after coordinating all the details and determining the required days.
Etymology
The naming of the exhibition “Souq Al-Warraqeen” came to revive a heritage that dates back to the Abbasid era, as the Warraq's task was to copy books, correct them, and publish them among people. Al- Warraq is the person who performs that task. He may be the copyist, or he may be someone else, and he has someone to copy for him. In addition to what entails the copying process, including covering and gilding, and the sale of paper, pens and inkwells. This means that Al-Warraqeen do what libraries and publishing and distributing houses do nowadays, from printing, distributing and selling paper and necessary writing tools.
SCHS spreads culture and knowledge
Many of the (Souq al-Warraqeen) visitors have confirmed that SCHS contributes through this event to spreading culture and knowledge and introducing people to the services SCHS provides to its students of all disabilities. In addition to providing job opportunities for persons with disabilities and contributing to their economic empowerment, while allocating the proceeds of the exhibition for the benefit of educating and training persons with disabilities in accordance with international best practices.
Through (Souq Al-Warraqeen) you can establish your own library
Others have confirmed that through the books that will be available in the exhibition, which are valuable books in a variety of fields, visitors would be able to establish their own libraries at minimal prices. Many books in English are available to everyone.
It is worth noting that Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services continues to receive book donations from all subjects and languages throughout the year.