Dubai, UAE, 18 December 2024: Equipped with the latest technologies, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library seeks to offer a global model in the preservation of rare manuscripts, collectibles, national archives, and cultural heritage through the Restoration Centre. This centre has contributed to the restoration of more than 500 rare pieces to date.

Under the sponsorship of Etisalat by e&, the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library has established an integrated centre to provide restoration and technical services for rare books and manuscripts. The centre is supervised by a group of Emirati technicians, who contribute to implementing restoration operations using the latest technologies and international standards followed in this field, to ensure the preservation of these cultural and human treasures from the impact of time and factors of damage.

Ali Juma Al Tamimi, Director of the Libraries Department at Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, stated: 'The Restoration Centre embodies our strategic vision to safeguard cultural and civilisational heritage by adhering to global best practices in the restoration and preservation of rare manuscripts and valuable collectibles, while being reinforced by a highly skilled team of national experts.'

Al Tamimi added: 'Our investment in nurturing Emirati talent and equipping them with the latest advanced methodologies and technologies forms the cornerstone of our vision to preserve and sustain our cultural and historical heritage. This approach will empower them to become leaders in this vital field, both regionally and globally.'

Reem Al Dhaheri, Restoration Officer at the Restoration Centre at Mohammed Bin Rashid Library, said: 'At the Restoration centre, we apply the latest methods in paper restoration to our rare collections with the least possible intervention. Our goal is to preserve the authenticity and historical age of each item, while extending its lifespan. This contributes to preserving it for future generations.'

Al Dhaheri added: 'Restoration operations include stabilising the elements, washing the leaves, repairing damage, as well as improving cohesion and creating a strong bond to ensure safe handling and efficient storage.'

Al Dhaheri continued: 'Through these practices, we seek to preserve the collections by restoring them and bringing them to a good condition, so that they can be stored and handled safely, and passed on from generation to generation.'

Asma Al Hamli, Restoration Technician at the Restoration Centre, said: 'Restoration is essential in preserving rare documents and manuscripts. After completing the sterilisation and chemical treatment processes, we begin implementing partial or complete restoration, depending on the extent of the damage to the document or manuscript.'

Al Hamli added: 'Restoration includes filling holes, completing missing parts, and implementing additional procedures aimed at restoring the original condition of the manuscript or rare collectible, using the latest techniques and equipment to ensure that the restoration processes are carried out with the highest quality.'

Restoration methods vary between manual and automated restoration. The restoration process is manual and artistic, relying on skill and precision in assembling, fixing, and strengthening the paper to restore the document to its original condition.

Latest equipment

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library's Restoration Centre boasts the latest equipment in the field of restoration of rare documents, manuscripts, and collectibles. It contains equipped tables and advanced devices, including a suction table, which is used to remove dust and impurities from paper safely, to preserve the integrity of the original materials during the delicate restoration process.

The ultrasonic humidification chamber provides an ideal environment for conditioning dry papers and restoring their softness, using a slow and precise humidification process that does not affect the fragile structure of the paper, in addition to the welding machines that contribute to reassembling papers and documents while preserving their original structure.

The Centre also includes a fume extraction cabinet, which is an important element in a safe working environment, as it extracts harmful fumes and gases that arise during chemical restoration processes. It also has lighting boxes for technicians to carefully examine papers and transparent materials, to detect cracks and problems that may not be visible to the naked eye. Moreover, there is a paper restoration machine, which works to merge new paper with the original document innovatively, ensuring that the manuscript's original appearance is preserved.

The center also includes a dedicated photography hall equipped with the latest digital technology, where rare documents and manuscripts are photographed in high resolution before and after the restoration process. This step allows for documenting the condition of the piece in detail, which helps in monitoring the progress of the restoration process and ensuring the preservation of its historical content, in addition to creating a digital archive of documents that are easy to access and search for, without the need to directly handle sensitive original copies.

Most prominent restored pieces

Since its opening, the Restoration Centre has successfully restored more than 500 pieces of antiquarian and artistic collections that tell the stories of the peoples and civilisations that lived on this land, some of which date back to the 13th century. This includes the Qajar Qur'an, written in Naskh script, a complete 500-page Qur'an, Al-Marsad magazine, which was published in Egypt - Issue 31, 1949, Al-Kifah daily newspaper, Issue 48, which was published in 1954, Al-Muwazaf magazine, Part 5, 1937, Al-Mustamm' Al-Arabi bi-monthly magazine, Volume 4, Issue 1 - 1943, Al-Masahareh magazine, Issue 2, 1931, among others.

Digitisation Lab

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Library's Digitisation Lab is integrated with the Restoration Centre. It contributes to converting rare manuscripts and documents into high-resolution digital works, and documenting the condition of the manuscript before and after restoration. This facilitates the process of tracking changes and preserving the original form of each document, making it easily accessible to researchers, without the need for original copies. The Lab's primary role is to preserve antiquarian and rare works, by providing researchers, scholars, and students with access to digital formats, thus preserving the original works for future generations.