Adonis Diaries

Lebanon: The story of late Maitre Phares Zoghbi: Univeristy USJ decided to close it to the community and displace all its 50,000 books to its headquarter

In Kornet Chehwa municipality (Lebanon), the late Maitre Phares Zoghbi’s private library (containing 50,000 books, many of them are expensive and unique), was opened to the community as a private library for over 2 decades. People could come read and borrow 2 books at a time. Last week, we learned the university of USJ is closing it. Why?

I overheard that USJ has already exchanged this property with works a company has performed on the hospital of Hotel Dieu?

Diala Gemayel published in the daily Orient 19/10/1999 what sounded as a testament of late Zoghbi:

Last week, Nada announced the closure by the university USJ. Nada is in charge of the page “Les amis de Maitre Phares Zoghbi”,  created in March 2010 to pay tribute to this exceptional bibliophile that has put all his life to the service of the book and reading.

The announcement stated:

“Requiem for the landmark library of the municipality.

After more than 50 years at the service of the readers of the region of Kornet Chehwan and its surroundings, the library will close its doors soon and its fund (meaning the 50,000 books?) will be transferred to a room that is already dedicated to it at the campus of social sciences of the USJ.

The statement goes on: “The friends of late Zoghbi welcomed this news with infinite emotion and sadness, all the more this close-by community library welcomed all audiences, without discrimination. No, its new location in a university campus will only be accessed to students and researchers.

In Kornet Chehwan (Lebanon), there exists a private library of late Maitre Phares Zoghbi. After years of negotiation with the university USJ,  this university has decided to trample on the spirit of keeping this library opened to the community. USJ decided to close the library, transfer all its books and dismantle all the shelves. Is the purpose to sell the property and land for real estates developers?  Is the soul of preserving a semblance of a community dead? This ignominy should Not passaran.

Why the USJ is intent on robbing the community from a local library? I urge everyone to do his due diligence and inform the newspapers, TV channels, deputies and friends on social media of this calamity and remedy to this injustice.

Nada replied:

“Le contrat de donation de maitre Phares Zoghbi autorise l’université USJ à déplacer les livres (meme toutes les 50,000 livres?) Et c’est inutile de faire tout ce bruit meme si cette fermeture fait mal.

I replied:

Est-ce que l’université à le droit de demanteler tous les etageres? De deplacer tous les livres et les transporter a l’universite’? Pouquoi prendre cette peine si USJ a deja des copies de la plupart des livres ? Pourquoi pas deplacer seulement les livres uniques et juridiques? Oui il y a de quoi faire un tas parceque cette library doit etre ouverte a la communaute’. On peut toujours trouver un manager avec nos contributions. Pourqoui USJ veut vendre la maison et la terre? Is USJ already bankrupt?