Dubai Culture and Arts Authority (Dubai Culture), through its public libraries, provides important cultural portals for all society members, including citizens, residents and visitors. Based on its keenness to implement the vision of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, for the future government, the Authority launched and activated a range of services for customers as well as facilitated their access to society members, providing efficient, easy and flexible electronic and smart services that meet the requirements for information and research needs.

Dubai Culture manages the network of branches of the Dubai Public Library, which includes eight libraries for adults and seven for children, in addition to multi-purpose halls and study halls, providing community members with sources of knowledge in the light of efficient services and advanced technologies. All library branches are linked to each other and to other modern libraries through the latest connectivity and networking technologies, allowing for easy access to a wide range of books covering a range of topics in both Arabic and English.

Dubai Public Libraries provide the public with several services, including the basic ones, such as subscribing to the library’s membership, which enables subscribers to borrow knowledge materials, use the Internet for free and obtain reduced fees when using the library services. The membership can be obtained from the Authority’s website www.dubaiculture.gov.aeor via the Dubai Public Library app, through simple and quick steps that do not take more than 15 minutes. Subscription to the membership can also be renewed or cancelled through the Dubai Culture website or the app.

The Dubai Public Libraries also provide several support services, most prominently the provision of spaces for classrooms and multi-purpose halls. It only requires the user to access the service, submit the application, attach the required papers, and pay the fees to obtain an approval.

The package of services provided by Dubai Public Libraries includes guidance counselling, automated searching, access to newspapers and magazines, the issuing of ‘to whom it may concern’ certificates, printing, photocopying, scanning, facilities for people of determination, lamination, spiral binding, and DVDs to store documents on library computers.

The Dubai Public Libraries network consists of Al Ras Public Library, Al Twar Public Library, Al Rashidiya Public Library, Hor Al Anz Public Library, Al Safa Art and Design Library, Al Mankhool Public Library, Umm Suqeim Public Library, and Hatta Public Library. The books provided by these libraries vary across all branches and are displayed according to the Dewey Decimal Classification. Their subjects include general knowledge, philosophy, psychology, religion, social sciences, languages, pure sciences, applied sciences, arts, literature, economics, management, history, geography, and translations, among others. The books are available in Arabic and English, and children’s stories are available in other languages as well, such as French and Chinese.