Lebanon's Ministry of Culture has launched a project to rehabilitate public libraries across the country, working with UNESCO and with backing from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Lebanon, the Chris "Loops" Seikali Foundation, and the MCN Build Foundation.
The project carries a $650,000 budget pulled together from several sources. The work ranges from full reconstruction and refurbishment of buildings to expanding book collections and running cultural programming. A first phase will cover 15 libraries before the project widens to the rest of the network.
The announcement came at a ceremony at the National Library in Sanayeh. Minister of Culture Ghassan Salamé attended alongside UNESCO Regional Director Paolo Fontani, Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad, and Dr. Georges Chadraoui, who represented the two foundations. Library directors and cultural sector figures were also present.
The Visitor Target
The plan sets a clear number to hit. Public libraries outside Beirut currently draw around 125,000 visitors a year. The project aims to double that to 250,000 within two years.
The thinking is straightforward: better spaces with more on offer, especially for children, should bring more people through the door. Salamé framed libraries as more than reading rooms.
"Libraries are not only places for reading, but also spaces for cultural engagement and diverse cultural activities, and free venues where people from different backgrounds and social groups can meet without discrimination," he said.
Rebuilding the South
Some of the work is more urgent than refurbishment. Libraries in Aitaroun, Majdal Selm, and Bint Jbeil were completely destroyed during the war and will have to be rebuilt from scratch.
Salamé said prefabricated transitional structures may be used in the south while a ceasefire holds. That approach would let services restart in damaged areas without waiting for full reconstruction.
Lebanon's cultural infrastructure has been underfunded and under-visited for years. This project ties library repair to a measurable goal rather than treating it as a side note to rebuilding roads and housing.
