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Libraries in Ajman from the beginning of the Twentieth Century until the Formation of the Union

specializations and financial resources of those who possessed them. Moreover, the
fate of such collections varied considerably after the demise of their owners; while
some of them survived the formation of the Union and were preserved by the owners’
offspring and relatives, others were scattered and changed hands. Consequently, a
significant proportion perished, unfortunately as a result of negligence and improper
storage or sometimes by deliberate destruction!

• The Evolution of Educational and Cultural Life in Ajman before the
Union:

Two stages can be identified in the evolution of educational and cultural life in the
Emirate of Ajman. The circumstances of each stage had an impact on the emergence
and development of libraries before the formation of the Union:

Stage I: From the beginning of the twentieth century until the introduction of
modern education in the Emirates, i.e. from 1900 to 1958.

Stage II: From the introduction of modern education in the Emirates until these
Emirates came together to form the United Arab Emirates i.e. from 1958 to 1971.

Stage I (1900-1959):

The educational characteristics of such a stage can be identified as follows:

1. The standard of living was low in general. The inhabitants focused their
attention on providing the bare necessities of life such as food, medicine,
accommodation and clothing. Most families had to send their young
children to work in order to generate extra income that would help alleviate
the burden on the hard working parents who were forced sometimes to make
their children drop out of the “Katateeb” (informal) schools and only learn
the Holy Qur’an. Pursuing education or self-education after completing the
Qur’an was deemed a costly luxury that could only be afforded by a small
minority of affluent individuals and by those who realized the importance of
formal education in improving the quality of life for individuals and societies
alike.

2. Few people could read and write then compared with the illiterate who were
the vast majority in society, particularly women whose illiteracy rate stood
at 99%. Although a large percentage of those women managed to read the
Qur’an, sometimes with difficulty, as a result of learning how to pronounce
the letters of the Arabic alphabet during their study at the Katateeb schools,
they did not know how to write. It is an accepted fact that the skill of writing
is different from that of reading, and needs special training.

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