President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has described every library as an everlasting flaming torch that illuminates the path around us.
President Dr Muizzu on Saturday extended his greetings to the people of the Maldives on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the National Library of the Maldives (Qaumee Kuthubukhaanaa) and Maldives Library Day.
He conveyed his message through a post on his official X account.
In his post, the President described every library as an everlasting flaming torch that illuminates the path around us.
He also expressed his gratitude and conveyed his best wishes for Maldives Library Day to all dedicated librarians.
The National Library is the largest archive in the Maldives housing a variety of books on the rich history of the country and its people.
The humble beginnings of the Qaumee Kuthubukhaanaa goes back to the 20th century, two decades before Maldives gained independence from British colonial rule.
During the early 1940s the Chief Justice of Maldives Sheikh Hussayn Salahuddin set up a bookshelf inside the justice house. The collection consisted of various texts of Islamic Fiqh he had received from one of his former students, Sheikh Hussain of Felidhoo.
In the mid-1940s Muhammad Amin Didi, a leading political figure at the time, decided to start a club “Naadhee Thamadhdhun” (lit. Civilisation Club) and have a small library within the club. When the news reached the Chief Justice, he decided to donate the collection at the justice house and some books from his own personal book collection to the library.
Amin Didi held a ceremony at the club on July 12, 1945 (Sh’aban 1, 1364) for the inauguration of the library under the name Dhaulathuge Kuthubukhaanaa (trans. State Library). Amin Didi gave the honor of opening the state library to Chief Justice Sheikh Salahuddin. A number of scholars and intellectuals participated in the library opening ceremony.
In 1948 the state library was renamed from Dhaulathuge Kuthubukhaanaa to Majeedhee Kuthubukhaanaa. Amin Didi chose the name after one of the famous political thinkers and statesmen of Maldives, 'Abdul Majeed Rannabandeyri Kilegefaanu.
The library kept functioning under the Vuzaarathudhdhaakhiliyyaa (trans. Home Ministry). During this time the library received a revolving collection of books from the Colombo based British Council. The collection was to rotate every three months. The library also received a book collection left by the British in Gan island military base, Addu atoll.
The library was renamed a second time on June 1, 1982 by President Maumoon 'Abdul Qayyoom, as Qaumee Kuthubukhaanaa (trans. National Library). The notion of national and public libraries was introduced in this era.