The National Library of Palestine held a workshop today, Monday, to launch the legal deposit system aimed at protecting the intellectual and cultural heritage of Palestine and Palestinians and ensuring its preservation for future generations.
The workshop, held at the Red Crescent headquarters in Al-Bireh, was attended by a number of intellectuals, academics, and publishers from various fields.
The workshop began with an opening speech by the head of the National Library, Issa Qaraqe, who emphasized the importance of legal deposit in documenting cultural production, whether in the form of books, periodicals, or audiovisual materials. He continued, based on Presidential Decree No. 6 of 2019, which stipulates the establishment of the National Library of Palestine and defines its tasks, in addition to the regulations and procedures set by the library, authors and publishers are required to deposit copies of their works with the National library, which in turn assigns a national number to these works.
Qaraqe highlighted the significance of legal deposit in preserving authors' rights and providing a comprehensive national database that facilitates access to published works for researchers and the public. He stressed that Palestinian cultural and human heritage is under threat and at risk of obliteration attempts.
During the workshop, Mai Hamash, the legal deposit system supervisor at the library, presented a detailed overview of the key aspects of legal deposit, explaining its definition, importance, objectives, and legal framework. She also reviewed the procedures of the digital system that the National Library will adopt to streamline the legal deposit process, enabling publishers and authors to directly submit electronic copies of their works. Hamash clarified that the system accommodates various types of content and intellectual works and includes a feature for tracking the status of deposits so that users can know if their submission has been processed or if it requires amendments or completion.
The workshop concluded with a discussion session led by board members Dr. Fathi Al-Bess and Dr. Randa Kamal. The session featured active contributions from participants, who offered diverse perspectives on the legal deposit system, its significance, and the importance of its implementation in Palestine. They emphasized that it is an important step toward enhancing the cultural presence of Palestine and Palestinians both locally and internationally.
