Public Library for Refugees

Dear ..., 

we're seeking to  create a digital library of maps, guides, reference works and literature  in general that could be of avail to the people who are currently  crossing the borders in direction of Europe. There are two user-case  scenarios: one is a refugee who travels across the border with little  more than a mobile phone and intermittent internet access, but is in  need of practical reference or simply distraction. The other is a  refugee or an asylum seeker in a foreign country having no access in  that country to the literature in own language.

Through our website Public Library/Memory of the World (library.memoryoftheworld.org)  we want to provide them with two corresponding collections, which they  will be able to easily access through their mobile phone and download  digital works that they need. The collections will be created by  scanning works in collaboration with asylum seeks or by including works  already available in digital form.

Therefore, we kindly ask you  to suggest works in the categories listed below by entering either  title, a link to the title in a online bookstore from where we can order  it from (Amazon) or a link to a digital copy of the title. If you are  so inclined, you could also send us a copy of the text you want us to  digitize -- it will be included in the library of the future  Intectultural Social Center in Zagreb. When selecting works consider the  utility for people in those scenarios, i.e. we wish to start with what  is more relevant, popular and canonical, and then cover more broadly.

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Collection for people on the move
(target languages: Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish are priority)

1. maps, guides

2. phrasebooks, dictionaries, language textbooks

3. literary works

4. picture books


Collection for people in a fore
(target languages: Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish are priority)

1. literary works

2. theory works

3. art books