Unveiling of the books ‘A Journey to Travelogues’ and ‘The Sun Up Close’

According to the correspondent of the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Mashhad, on the eve of Book Week, with the participation of the Organization of Libraries, Museums, and Document Center of Astan Quds Razavi and Qalam Library in Mashhad, the audio book ‘The Sun Up Close’ and the book ‘A Journey to Travelogues’ were unveiled on Tuesday evening.

The audio book ‘The Sun Up Close’ is among the works of the Planning and Virtual Space Deputy of the Organization of Libraries, Museums, and Document Center of Astan Quds Razavi, produced based on a work published in 1404 at the behest of the Islamic Propagation Deputy of Razavi Holy Shrine by Zaer Razavi Publications.

This book, which narrates a readable collection of writings, notes, and accounts of pilgrims to Mashhad al-Reza (AS) from other lands, was audio-recorded in the studio of the Astan Quds Razavi Digital Library with the narration of Hamid Fahmideh, Ali Malekkhahi, and Mobina Nazarzadeh, over one month, in 19 story sections, as a 250-minute audio file, and its audio file is available to enthusiasts on the speaking platform of this digital library at ‘https://digital.aqr.ir’.

The book ‘A Journey to Travelogues (The Image of Mashhad, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Tehran in the Mirror of Travelogues)’ is also a work by Mohammad Javad Modarres Gharavi, published by Mohaqqeq Publications.

Benefits of Travelogues

Mohammad Javad Modarres Gharavi, director of Qalam Library, stated at this unveiling ceremony: Travelogues are, in fact, beautifully painted canvases depicting social, political, and religious scenes of the lives of people in countries visited by travelers.

He also elaborated on the benefits of reading travelogues: familiarity with the culture, history, and social changes of destination societies, strengthening critical and comparative thinking, enhancing writing and descriptive skills, learning about the experiences of people in other countries, and drawing lessons from their victories, failures, joys, and sufferings, are among these benefits.

Modarres Gharavi continued: Other benefits of reading travelogues include gaining insights into the conditions and circumstances of people and fostering a desire to discover new and inspiring places for adventurous journeys.

He emphasized: Although travelogues, especially in the last 300 years, contain valuable historical, social, and cultural points, they are mostly used to familiarize Westerners with the customs and traditions of Iranians during the Safavid and Qajar eras.

The director of Qalam Library also mentioned points at the ceremony, focusing on the impact of virtual space on libraries, the necessity of using appropriate strategies to best utilize the capacities of virtual space while avoiding its threats, and the importance of institutionalizing the habit of reading and connecting with books from early childhood in individuals.

The Role of Librarians in Guiding Society Towards Rationality

Subsequently, Hujjat al-Islam Seyyed Jalal Hosseini, head of the Organization of Libraries, Museums, and Document Center of Astan Quds Razavi, referring to parts of Nahj al-Balagha and sayings from Aristotle and Plato emphasizing the necessity of governance based on rationality, posed these questions: ‘What is our duty as library officials and librarians? Should we make society learned or rational? Or both? Which is more important?’

He continued: A rational and wise society is more important than a society full of scholars and scientists. In fact, knowledge and science provide the groundwork for achieving a rational society, so that we can reach the ultimate goal of governance, which is a wise and virtuous society.

Hujjat al-Islam Hosseini said: Thus, the main duty of libraries and librarians is to guide society towards rationality, not just knowledge and science, an objective achieved through promoting books and reading in society.

In another part of this ceremony, Rahmatollah Fattahi, a veteran professor of Information Science and Knowledge Studies and a faculty member at Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, delivered a speech on the theme ‘Libraries: Institutions for Global Peace.’

Reading a part of the audio book ‘The Sun Up Close’ by Mobina Nazarzadeh and Ali Malekkhahi was another segment of this ceremony.