Iraq National Library and Archive: Inherited Difficulties and New Challenges

Abstract

Drawing on the experience of the Iraq National Library and Archive (INLA) since 2003, the paper argues that at a time of national crisis cultural and educational institutions must play a cultural and social role in order to strengthen national unity and the social fabric of society. It examines how the former Ba'ath regime controlled INLA with the aim of imposing cultural uniformity and ideological submission. The paper goes on to shed light on the difficulties and challenges that INLA has been confronting since the downfall of the former regime. The new policies of INLA are discussed, emphasizing their receptiveness and flexibility. In the final section, the paper examines how INLA reacted to the outbreak of the civil war in Baghdad during the period 2006–2007 and the vital role played by its librarians and archivists in combating internal divisions, political extremism and religious fanaticism.