Under the patronage of the Minister of Tourism Laura El Khazen Lahoud, LAU launched the Lebanese Collection at the Joseph G. Jabbra Library on the Byblos campus on May 30, 2025.

Art and culture enthusiasts and university library representatives from across the country were in attendance, alongside LAU President Chaouki T. Abdallah, Provost George E. Nasr, faculty, staff and students.

The collection consists of 6,800 books, e-books and audiovisual material that have been archived, curated and collected since the university’s founding in 1924 as the American Junior College for Women.

“This collection is truly representative of this country in that it is comprised of plurality,” said Assistant Provost for Educational Resources and Innovation Jordan Srour in her opening remarks. “While individual books and resources each represent a different facet of this nation’s history and culture,” she noted, “when bound together, they form one holistic and unique story that is truly Lebanese.”

Dr. Abdallah highlighted the significance of housing this collection in Byblos, a city renowned as the cradle of civilization. “In a region too often defined by instability, Lebanon has remained a cultural outpost, a beacon of art, literature, scholarship and multilingual expression,” he declared.

However, without institutions to protect and promote them, added the president, these treasures risk being lost to time. “That is where libraries step in as living institutions of identity, continuity and resistance. And among these, LAU Libraries stand apart.”

For Dr. Abdallah, the unveiling of the Lebanese Heritage Collection affirmed the role of LAU Libraries as “a steward of national memory and a catalyst for cultural dialogue,” and as the university’s “strategic partner in its academic mission and a moral partner in national duty.”

To that end, Minister Lahoud underscored how “heritage is best preserved not only in books and museums, but also when it is integrated into education policies and curricula, protected by law, promoted by media, nurtured by universities, supported by municipalities and invested in by the private sector.”

She further stressed the role of universities in contributing to Lebanon’s cultural vision and creating spaces for critical dialogue on identity, belonging, memory and diversity.

Senior Director of Collection Management at LAU Libraries Hweida Kammourié gave an overview of the collection, stressing the important role of libraries, especially at a time when content is readily available electronically, as “guardians that can meticulously filter and scrutinize its sources.” The launch of the Lebanese Collection, she added, “asserts that memory has profound value and documentation holds a crucial role that cannot be understated.”

Dr. Kammourié also presented a video prepared by Senior Collection Development Manager Gihade Costantine, which highlighted some of Lebanon’s historical milestones, featuring Lebanese icons, past presidents and pioneers.

The event featured a poetry reading of Kallilouni Bil Arz, “Crown Me with Cedars,” by Poet and Director of the Center for Lebanese Heritage Henri Zoghaib, which fittingly celebrated the richness and diversity of the country’s heritage. 

A dance performance by Rita Khalil, who was mentored by LAU Associate Professor and Dance Instructor Nadra Assaf, accompanied the poetry reading.

At the end of the event, attendees joined the minister and president in touring the new collection, examining some of the highlighted books and archival material.