King Fahad National Library Expansion Project

King Fahd National Library plays a leading role in documenting the national heritage and the local cultural production. It also represents a key metropolitan landmark and a symbol of urban development in the heart of Riyadh. Since its establishment, King Fahd National Library pursued a great mission in serving researchers and learners.

Significance

King Fahd National Library after the expansion project

The Library is the deposit of the national Saudi database as well as the national photographic archive, and the department of registration and ISBN. The Library follows the ISSN system for books and periodicals. It also hosts the legal deposit system administration (applicable since 1404H / 1983), which requires all publishers to deposit copies of their publications with the National Library.

Given the significant daily size increase of its information reservoirs and archives and the modern roles it is required to play, the Library Board of Trustees decided to expand the existing building to serve as both national and public Library, in addition to its research and academic services.

Design Concept

Library building falls in the heart of Riyadh city and overlooks Al Olaya Street and King Fahd Road in the east and west respectively. The public garden, which borders the Library building in the east, represents a complementary element and a space reserved for future expansions.

Actually, King Fahd National Library development program adopted a unique design concept, and focused on optimal utilization of land along with paying special attention to the functional aspects of the library.

The development project will keep the current building, so that both the new and the old buildings would become a single integrated and multi-functional building without affecting the work at the library during the project implementation.

The total area of the current building is 21,000 m², and by the completion of the new building it will become 87,000 m², including the underground parking areas, and the old library building.

Library Buildings

The Royal Commission for Riyadh City has taken into consideration all the library-specific requirements throughout the project, including the mechanic capabilities, and the precautions related to movement, administration, security, safety, flexibility, and expandability. The RCRC utilized the existing building to be integral with the expansion, in such a way that enables the library to ‎play its national role as a public library and to meet the city need for more cultural ‎facilities. Likewise, the RCRC insisted on making best use of the library’s strategic location, which is frequented by majority of the metropolitan population, through providing a good chance to benefit from the public library.

Open Plaza and Park

King Fahd National Library after the expansion project

The RCRC redesigned the library old park and transformed it into a 20,000-meter²plaza. The plaza is constructed over a 350-car underground parking area, and it also has 171 external parking areas around the library and the plaza in addition to pedestrian walkways that link it to the northern and southern neighborhoods. The park represents a multi-function addition that helps in satisfying the needs of the residents living in the vicinity in a way consistent with the library modern design and pioneering cultural role.

Capacity

Fictive image of the reading areas at the library

The extension project increased library capacity from 600,000 to ‎‎2.4 million books, a capacity that could potentially be expanded to 4.4 million books in the future.

The new design provides significant spaces for office compounds and information deposits, which are not publicly accessible. It also includes a section for women, large spaces for cultural activities, an auditorium and rooms for audio-visual presentations. The building accommodates the library’s staff offices, library’s Board of Trustees, the headquarter of the Saudi Library and Information Association, and other service facilities.

Library Objectives

In 1410H (1989), the Cabinet issued a decision approving King Fahd National Library bylaw and administrative structure. The bylaw and internal system of the library outlined its missions and objectives as follows:

• Hold, organize, regulate, document, introduce and publish the intellectual production inside and outside the Kingdom.
• Compile all publications about the Kingdom and the vital issues, particularly the ones that can help in studying and coping with the human civilization in all fields.
• Collect the legacy books, manuscripts, rare pictures, and carefully chosen publications and documents, particularly the ones speaking about the Arab and Islamic civilization, in addition to registering whatever deposited with it.
• Issue the national bibliography, unified indices and the other documentation tools, in addition to establishing bibliographic database.
• Provide referential studies to the government bodies and authorities, and offer borrowing and referential services to the individuals, government bodies and private entities.
• Hold and organize book fairs, symposiums, and conferences, in addition to representing the Kingdom at the the relevant international events.
• Exchange information and publications with the libraries worldwide and the international organizations.
• Lead and develop library works and services as well as information centers through participation in developing national plans for library-specific information and documentary systems.
• Develop the national bibliographic standards, in addition to encouraging and following up on their adoption and application in all libraries and information centers.
• Implement information programs, establish a cooperative information network linking the libraries and information centers across the kingdom, and contribute to the preparation and publication of the researches, studies and indices on information and library works.