The Islamic Library is set to open its latest facility – a state-of-the-art digitally integrated resource centre, situated at the Islamia College Academia Centre on Friday 25 November 2016. Facilities at the Al-Ikhlaas Academia Library and Resource Centre include an interactive audio-visual room, conference room, researchers hub, and computer workstations with high-speed Internet connectivity. There is also a dedicated children’s reading corner with the latest in Early-Childhood Development tools to assist the young reader.

The library will also house a comprehensive Islamic literature catalogue that will be made available through a digital online research system, a first of its kind for the Athlone and surrounding communities.

“With the Al-Ikhlaas Academia Library and Resource Centre, we will be providing the community with access to a specialist library that will house Islamic literature and information in various forms, with a view to empower the local community and society in general,” chairperson Dr Elias Parker explained.

He said the library will be open to all and encouraged schools and tertiary institutions in the surrounding areas to make use of the facility.

“We would like to encourage schools, students and researchers to frequent this facility and to use the different library resources. No expense has been spared, as we would like to see our community achieve great academic heights. This Library is for the community and we would like to see as many people as possible frequent the facility.

A mass Quran recital programme will take place on Thursday 24 November at Masjidul Furqaan, Imam
Haron Road, Lansdowne to kick off a weekend of events to mark the official opening of the centre. Special guests include the world renowned reciters Sheikh Dr Ahmed Naina and Sheikh Dr Ahmed Esa El Masarawi.

The mass recital is open to the public and is hosted by the Board of Trustees of the Academia Library in partnership with the South African Quran Union and Jam’eyyatul Qurra.

The Al-Ikhlaas Academia Library and Resource Centre will officially open at 4pm on Friday 25 November 2016.

An exciting programme, that concludes on Sunday 27 November include Islamic Art exhibitions, Poetry and Book Readings, Youth Leadership workshops, the finals of a Schools Essay Writing Competition and a Public Debate on the state of the South African Education system.