Rabat – The National Library of Morocco in Rabat (BNRM) has posted a list of audiobooks offered for free on its official website, in light of the sanitary state of emergency which prohibits citizens from leaving their homes.
BNRM’s list embodies famous works that marked Arab literature, including “Al Boukhalaa” by Al Jahed, “Kalila wa Dimna” by Ibn al-Muqaffa, “Al Muqaddimah” by Ibn Khaldun, “Al Ayam” by Taha Hussein, “Khan Al-Khalili” by Najib Mahfoud, and more.
The National Library also suggests French literature and books translated from English to French, such as “Les Miserables” by Victor Hugo, “Hamlet” by William Shakespeare, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coelho, and more.
BNRM has also posted a list of electronic books and audiobooks of stories for children, that help develop imagination and creativity for the young readers. The children’s material is available in many languages.
The National Library’s initiative can help to entertain readers during the coronavirus crisis that is characterized by a lack of activity.
As part of its contribution to the preventive measures against the spread of COVID-19, Morocco’s Ministry of Interior announced in a press release on March 18 the suspension of all cultural activities and conferences until further notice.
The suspension was then followed by offering online administrative services to its subscribers, and access to electronic documents including legal deposits, manuscripts, magazines, books, and more.
The library’s decisions follow the recommendations of the Ministry of Finance and several other public institutions in Morocco to close headquarters and promote working from home.
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The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is also providing free access to its digital library for learners around the world.
On March 18, via Twitter, UNESCO encouraged anyone interested to explore the digital library, which is free to access, and which provides access to books in seven languages.
“We know many of you are at home and the walls are closing in. So… get to know the World Digital Library: free access to thousands of books, documents and photos from all countries and cultures,” said the invitational tweet.
Among similar cultural initiatives, the Moroccan National Foundation of Museums (FNM), started to offer free online museum visits on March 20 through a 360° virtual immersion, with explanatory texts and descriptions about collection items accompanying the virtual visit.
The virtual museums are free to explore at http://picasso.visite360.ma.
