–Diaspora urged to contribute books as Nat’l campaign starts soon
ADDIS ABABA– The Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) handed over yesterday books to the grand Abrhot Library collected in a five-day campaign targeting to collect 5,000 books in a memory of its published authors.
The event also marked the announcement of a national campaign to collect one million books to the library that lasts a month May 6-June 6, 2022; in which the Diaspora is urged to participate hugely.
Speaking at the handing over ceremony, Ethiopian Press Agency (EPA) Chief Executive Officer Getnet Tadesse said EPA staff members and candid personalities who backed the noble objective contributed books including rare ones.
There were people who sent book contributions from miles of distances as well, he added.The EPA could be regarded as one of the oldest pan-African media house conceived and established by Africans nearly a century ago, Getnet said. And he broke the news of yet another innovative round of campaign to collect books matching EPA’s 81 years of uninterrupted existence to collect 100 best books representing each of the years.
EPA Board Member Deacon Daniel Kibret who spoke at the event said the campaign is meant to install the culture of donating books.
“We’re doing this due to the fact that we know that books contain a refined knowledge with edited and peer corrected content.”
It is in this way that knowledge can be made intergenerational, he said.
Problems arising here and there in Ethiopia can only be tackled through knowledge and that is the reason the library is built, he added. “Look, we’ve built the largest library, its pillars, gates… are huge as you can see them. All what you see here are metaphors signifying the fact that we value knowledge.”
The library is also a means to disseminate knowledge. Books that are surplus here will be given to libraries in regional states. City administrations and regional states will also emulate the lesson and build similar libraries for themselves.
For his part, Addis Ababa University President Prof. Tassew Weldehanna said people ranging from 3,000-5,000 are using the library resources day in, day out and this shows the extent of the demand for similar facilities at every sub-city in Addis and in every state in Ethiopia.
He also hailed the EPA for the initiative in the name of the famed writers. “I don’t think there exists a person here who is not influenced by the books authored by the accomplished writers of EPA.”
Similarly, Addis Ababa Culture and Arts and Tourism Bureau Head Hirut Kassaw (PhD) who attended the event said the Abrhot Library is meant to be a hub of knowledge. Hence, the EPA’s contributions in this regard are tremendous. She said the key to undo many of the problems seen is through promoting the supremacy of ideas.
The EPA initially set a target to collect 5,000 books in five days but was able to surpass it.
It is to be recalled that the media house has incubated published authors including, but not limited to, Haddis Alemayehu, Ba’alu Girma, Abe Gubegna and Sebhat Gebre-Egziabher.
BY STAFF REPORTER
The Ethiopian Herald 27 April 2022
