West campus news Releases Archive

National award-winning librarian discusses library reconstruction in Afghanistan

Mar. 30, 2005

Address is keynote of National Library Week at ASU's West campus April 14

Librarian Atifa Rawan will speak on "The Reconstruction of Academic Libraries in Afghanistan" from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 14, at Arizona State University’s West campus as part of National Library Week. The event is free and open to the public.

Rawan is an Afghan-American who has served as a librarian at the University of Arizona for more than 20 years. She is the subject librarian for political science and public administration as well as the selector for law; Arizona state and local documents; United States, international and European Union resources.

Rawan will discuss her involvement in rebuilding academic libraries in Afghanistan in light of decades of war, the Taliban-led dismantling of the educational system and repression of women, and the limited resurgence of women into academics following the defeat of the Taliban. Rawan brings considerable experience and personal interest to the problem. She visited Afghanistan on multiple occasions and contributed her expertise to several international documentation efforts and reconstruction initiatives.

Rawan was recently awarded the American Library Association’s Elizabeth Futas Catalyst for Change Award for her work on rebuilding Afghanistan’s Kabul University Library and creating electronic federal depository libraries.

“We are pleased to host a librarian of Ms. Rawan’s stature and accomplishment,” said Marilyn Myers, dean of the Fletcher Library at ASU’s West campus. “She epitomizes the impact one professional can have on a library and the world community.”

Rawan’s presentation will be held in the University Center Building, room 265 at ASU’s West campus, 4701 W. Thunderbird Rd., Phoenix.

Details on the Rawan presentation and other National Library Week activities are available online at the Fletcher library Web site: http://library.west.asu.edu/diversity/libraryweek.

EDITORS: ATIFA RAWAN IS PICTURED IN THE THUMBNAIL. A 300-DPI PHOTO IS AVAILABLE.

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