Two American librarians, who in 1997 were part of the first official library delegation from anywhere in the world to visit Gaza and the West Bank, sent a 102-page consultants' report to Yasir Arafat and the ministry of education in the Palestinian Authority April 13. Ravi Sharma, director of the West Virginia State College library, and Ron Chepesiuk, head of special collections at Winthrop University in South Carolina, say their findings are intended to serve as a planning document for the development of libraries in Palestine.
"We believe that peace has a better chance of coming to the Middle East if a viable library and educational opportunity is made available to every citizen of Palestine, and we offer concrete suggestions on how to do it," said Chepesiuk.
Libraries and Education in Palestine: A Field Report was initiated under the auspices of the Near East and South Asia Subcommittee of ALA's International Relations Committee, but was independently produced by the authors and West Virginia State College Printing Services, POB 1000, Institute, WV 25112.
This story was updated April 27 to clarify that the field report is not an ALA publication. A limited number of copies were produced; check availability at the above address.
Posted April 19, 1999.