KUALA LUMPUR: Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad kicked off the 20th anniversary of the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia (IAMM) here today by launching its Scholar’s Library.
“Galleries are the face of a museum – visual memory banks that trace the evolution and achievements of a culture or country.
“The library, on the other hand, is the brain. It provides context to collections. We refer to books and manuscripts when curating exhibitions and developing explanatory panels for exhibits.
“Any decent museum must have a decent library. Our Scholar’s Library is comparable to the best in the world. We have more than 20,000 titles, which include 3,000 rare, out of print books. Users don gloves to prevent wear and tear,” head of curatorial affairs at the IAMM Dr Heba Nayel Barakat said at the launch today.
The function – which also marked the 40th anniversary of the Albukhary Foundation – was attended by IAMM director, Syed Mohamad Albukhary.
The IAMM Scholar’s Library is set to become an important link in the knowledge-sharing of Islamic history, arts, culture and civilisation, as well as other related disciplines.
It is replete with reference materials – encyclopaedias, collectors’ editions, photographs and audio visual materials – which were authenticated and purchased from reputable auction houses.
“The contents of the museum are of undeniable beauty, but what excites me is their value in expanding knowledge and diminishing intolerance.
“At the IAMM, we organise an average of six exhibitions a year, and they attract thousands of visitors from all walks of life, age groups, ethnicities and nationalities. We hope our exhibitions make Muslims proud of their heritage, while dispelling prejudices that exist among non- Muslims with regard to Islam in the world today,” Dr Heba added.
The IAMM opened its doors to the public in Dec 1998, with the support of Dr Mahathir Mohamad during his first term as prime minister.
During the launch 20 years ago, he said: “I did not expect such a beautiful building, and I did not think it was within (Syed Mokhtar’s) means to build something of this scale!”
IAMM is one of two flagship projects by the Albukhary Foundation, a private international charity founded by Syed Mokhtar in 1976.