National Library of Israel rolls out a bookmobile

At least ten buses were standing on Kaplan Street in Jerusalem. Some were empty because the passengers had already alighted to tour the National Library of Israel. Other buses, arriving one after another were carrying visitors to the new library building, located opposite the Knesset, adjacent to the Israel Museum, and the newest feature on Jerusalem’s “Museum Mile.” 

That same day, a new bookmobile was parked in front of the National Library auditorium, ready to present a play about the magic of books to evacuee children – the first of 40 planned visits to evacuee centers, starting with Jerusalem, and followed by Yeruham, Kibbutz Almog, the Ramon Airbase, and more. At various stops around the country, children from kindergarten to fourth grade will experience the thrill of reading a new book and receiving a book as a gift to treasure. 

The National Library explains this exciting project in this fashion: “The brightly colored van and accompanying materials, branded with a lovable ginger feline named Ir-Meow-hu the Library Cat, will present a play for Israeli children, offer a program of games and puzzles, and provide children with time to browse and read the books filling the van’s bookshelves. At the end of each session, every child will receive a book as a gift.”

For the present, the bookmobile will travel to the evacuee centers serving persons displaced from Israel’s northern and southern border communities. The books provided at the end of each session are donated by Matar Publishing, Hakibbutz Sifriat Poalim, Am Oved, and publishers, with the assistance of the Association of Israel Book Publishers.

Tsila Hayun, head of Education and Culture at the National Library, bubbles over with enthusiasm as she explains the powerful significance of the bookmobile being on the spot for the young residents of the towns and cities where it will stop.

“In these difficult days, we all need magic that can create stories, words, and spirit  –and children need it more than anyone.” She then emphasizes what the goal is. “We at the National Library are setting out to bring something of the magic of stories to these children.”

Sitting on colorful woven floor mats, the children are treated to a short two-person play in which an errant bookseller outwits an arresting officer by introducing him to the wonderful world of imagination and books. Children are then given activities and time to browse a selection of books chosen by the library’s educational staff for their quality and appeal. 

The library’s bookmobile team also guides the children in an activity on the different ways one might select a book. By subject? Cover picture? Recommendation by a friend? A movie based on that book? Once a book is selected, a specially branded Ir-Meow-hu bookplate is affixed and personalized with the child’s name. 

Hayun notes, “We encourage them, in the process of book selection, to show them that it’s worth investing some thought into becoming better, more thoughtful readers. And I have to say that our partners at the Education Ministry are very excited about this activity in terms of pedagogy.” 

Hayun adds that the schools immediately inquire about arranging field trips to the National Library building in Jerusalem. There, they will be able enjoy the education center, visitor experience, and gallery tour of precious treasures ranging from 5th-century Babylonia to modern-day Tel Aviv, as well as listen (through headphones) to the library’s extensive collection of Israeli and Jewish music.

Oren Weinberg, CEO of the National Library of Israel, says, “On October 29, the library’s reading rooms were opened to the public. We made this decision after much consideration, despite the war in the aftermath of October 7, 2023. Our duty is to the readers, many of whom consider the library their second home where, they carry out research, conduct discussions, and meet with colleagues.

“We are equally committed to education, and met the challenge of schooling children displaced from their homes by setting up a temporary school, offering after-school activities in the new building, and now, by launching the bookmobile to reach children outside Jerusalem. This is part of our pledge to share the treasures of the Jewish people and the State of Israel to as wide an audience as possible.”  ■

For details and to schedule an event with the Ir-MEOW-hu the Library Cat bookmobile, contact the National Library of Israel: Tel: 074-733-7160. email: info@nli.org.il

Why have a national library

You may ask, “What is the purpose of a national library? Doesn’t it sound forbidding and even unnecessary in this digital age?” I believe that I can offer each of you the thrill of the library. After coming to Israel in 1977, a year or so later I had an assignment as a freelancer to write a story for The Jerusalem Post about making aliyah. I had brought the basic data for the story with me. However, for that initial article, I wanted to ensure that all the facts were correct.

I searched in the library for the periodicals and books where the data could be found. Nothing digital then, only hands-on manuscripts, actual hard-copy periodicals and books. Microfilm, yes. Scans, no. Of course, there were pictures in books.

In that first quest, I found what I wanted, sometimes with the help of a reference librarian, but mostly searching on my own. What I soon realized was that nowhere in the world, except at the National Library, was the information and data I sought. What was particularly special for me was the ability to hold the manuscripts, books, and periodicals in my hands. As I researched, everything I used became a part of me.

This experience still holds true at the National Library of Israel, even though much of its collections are also digitized and available online through its website. Readers and researchers can still come to view collection highlights, such as handwritten works by luminaries such as Maimonides and Sir Isaac Newton; exquisite Islamic manuscripts dating back to the ninth century; and the personal archives of leading cultural and intellectual figures including Martin Buber, Natan Sharansky, Franz Kafka, Naomi Shemer, and so many others. 

The library also holds the world’s largest collections of textual Judaica; Jewish and Israeli music; and maps of Jerusalem and the Holy Land, as well as world-class collections of manuscripts; ancient maps; rare books; photographs; communal and personal archival materials; and more. Mass digitization of these collections means that today, the blessings of our library are now available to readers and researchers around the world.

To register and access the library catalog, and for information about opening hours, reference services, ordering books and rare/archival items, tours, and more: https://www.nli.org.il/en. 

NLI by the numbers

The National Library of Israel has the following:

• 4,200,000 books, manuscripts, periodicals, and other items
• 420,000 records in the Central Archives for the History of the Jewish People, documenting Jewish communal life from around the world
• 1,400,000 digitized photographs available online
• 120,000 rare items
• 94,800 digitized Hebrew manuscripts
• 2,694 Arabic letter manuscripts
• 1,300 personal archives of leading Jewish and Israeli figures
• 10,000 maps of all parts of the world, with special focus on ancient and modern Israel, the largest collections of its kind
• 9,000,000 digitized pages of historic Jewish and Israeli press
• 300,000 digitized pages of historic Ottoman and British Mandate era press
• 150,000 hours of recorded Jewish and Israeli music available online, the largest collection in the world (https://www.nli.org.il/en)