A Visit to the National Library of Israel

 

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Many were anticipating the gala, grand opening of the new campus of the National Library of Israel, but with the current "matsav" (situation), it's been kind of a "soft" opening, with a limit on how many people can be in the library for security reasons. We joined one of the daily tours of the facility, and the world "cool" came to mind throughout the tour. 

As you can see from the photograph, the building is supposed to look like an open book. You don't really get that close up, but it's still an interesting shape. It is also a "green" building, so several aspects are mindful of the environment, including the landscaping. Our tour guide pointed out that while across the street (to the right in the photo), the Knesset building is heavily fenced, the library has no gate or fence, so everyone has access.

To preserve the quiet of the library, the tour guide had a microphone, and all the tour participants had head sets connected to the tour guide's output, so she could speak quietly and everyone could hear what she was saying. The building is built from Jerusalem Stone, a light-colored limestone. Even though it is called "Jerusalem Stone," the limestone for the building was quarried in Mitzpe Ramon, about 115 miles south in the Negev.

As part of the green concept, there is a huge skylight above the main reading rooms:

Besides the main reading room, there are several rooms for special collections and exhibits. There are offices, a synagogue and a prayer room.

What if the material you want isn't on the shelf? They it has to be retrieved from "the stacks," another really cool aspect of the library. In the storage area, the air is maintained at a very low oxygen level (like being on Mount Everest), so that nothing can catch fire. It also means that humans cannot breathe in the area, so it is all automated. The boxes are barcoded, and a computer directs the machinery.

Outside, there is a big area for gatherings, and a rock sculpture representing letters:

REAL ISRAEL

We usually finish up with a look at "The Real Cats of Israel." This segment originated because there were so many books about cats in Israel that gave the impression that they are all cute and cuddly and people love them, when, in fact, they are feral, often sickly, and are very unpopular, often dubbed "Israel's squirrels."

So we'll end with REAL ISRAEL and dedicate this to the memory of Lavi Lipshitz, a 20-year old killed in battle on October 31st. Besides being a talented photographer, Lavi was an avid reader. May God avenge his blood.

A Day at the Library

Thank you to my friend Tanya for inviting me to join her and her colleagues from ETAI (English Teachers Association of Israel) at their winter event at the National Library of Israel.

 My interesting and informative morning began with a presentation by AJL colleague Nachum Zitter about the history of the library and its collections. From there, the first stop was the map room, where Ayelet talked about the maps. While some of the originals are in huge books, many posters have been made, and it was interesting to see the different depictions of Israel, some of which included bible personalities and sea monsters.

Part of the map collection at the National Library of Israel

From the second floor,there is a great view of the stained glass windows. It was a rainy day, so I did not see them in their full glory (another reason to return for another visit). 

From there, it was on to one of the nine reading rooms.

After the short tour, the group heard about the resources available, in English, at the National Library: classes, programming and tours and their website - 

NATIONAL LIBRARY OF ISRAEL ENGLISH WEBSITE

The site includes an open access digital primary resource database and educational activities and games. To give students and library patrons a multimedia experience, you can check out the audio recordings available at the Bella and Harry Wexner Libraries of Sound and Song and find songs and chants.

Another project, also available online is "Time Travel," which is a collection of Israeli ephemera (posters, pamphlets, menus, etc.). The collection is searchable by company, time period, language and more.

At one time the library had a program for bar and bat mitzvah-age students to do research on a subject of interest. A video showed the delight of one boy who was interested in the Bermuda Triangle and discovered the magic of the library. Another student did her project on Surika (Sarah) Braverman, the "first lady of the IDF," Braverman parachuted into Nazi-occupied Hungary with Hannah Senesh, but was able to escape. The girl was able to travel to Kibbutz Shamir and interview Surika as part of her library project. While the one-on-one program is no longer available, classes and groups can arrange to do research at the library.

A plug for ETAI and then some real cats:

"Founded in 1979 by teachers for teachers, ETAI's aim is to provide professional support, advice, teaching ideas and background knowledge to teachers of English."

Happy Reading!