The Need for Special Attention to the Development of Book, Writing, and Story Hubs
According to the correspondent of the Iran Book News Agency (IBNA) in Qom, Masoud Moeinipour, the Head of the Library, Museum, and Documentation Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, speaking at the commemoration ceremony of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Literary and Artistic Library of the Islamic Propagation Office in Qom, congratulated the library on its 40th year. He appreciated the efforts of former managers and Professor Hassan-zadeh who founded this legacy, and referring to the special attention given to the development of book, writing, and story hubs in the new spaces of the Propagation Office, said: ‘We are indeed using the legacy of the past, but we are not producing anything for the future, and this is a serious weakness.’
He continued: ‘We pride ourselves on our past, and that is very good, but we must produce for the future.’
The Head of the Library, Museum, and Documentation Center of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, referring to societal changes and the need to educate teenagers in up-to-date artistic and media fields, stated: ‘If teenagers lack intellectual order, writing technique and creativity, and historical identity, the outputs of the new space will not be commensurate with Islamic and Iranian identity.’
The Library’s Turning Point Was Inviting Mr. Shabestari
Following this, Mozaffar Salari, a veteran author and one of the first members of the Islamic Propagation Office, recounted memories of the library’s formation, referring to the efforts and views of Professor Abdullah Hasanzadeh. Recalling the early days of the library’s establishment, he complained about its numerous relocations and considered the major turning point for the library to be the invitation of Mr. Shabestari and the current management. Enumerating achievements such as winning the ‘Book of the Year of the Islamic Republic’ award for the ‘Quranic Encyclopedia for Youth,’ he attributed these successes to the efforts of Professor Hasanzadeh and called him the ‘father of children’s and youth literature in the country.’
He also emphasized the high status of this collection, noting: ‘This specialized library has managed to attract many prominent figures from Tehran and has been active for years based on modern literary theories, including logical analogy in story plotting.’
The Need to Examine Cultural Developments and Their Resources
In a part of this ceremony, a clip of the speech by Hojjat-ul-Islam Ahmad Vaezi, the Director of the Islamic Propagation Office, was broadcast. Vaezi emphasized the importance of cultural studies in this clip, stating: ‘Regarding cultural issues and studies, the course of developments at various stages should be examined. For example, the impact of politics on culture or the evolution it has undergone. All of these are researchable, so they all require resources, and we must provide those resources.’
