How many of you have ever been to the Kuwait National Library?

I have, today actually! In my ongoing quest for Kuwaiti ads from the past, I decided to check the National Library’s archives, which is located near Souq AlMubarakiya, right behind “gahwat BoNashi”, near Qirtas Bookstore. So I went with a friend, and this is what happened….

We entered the main entrance, walked in, there was a desk which seemed to be the information desk, it was empty, with no signs anywhere, so we continued walking in. In the next room, there is a shelf in the middle, a door on the right, and many many books on the floor on the left. On the far right, we found two men working on a table or something, so we asked them where exactly do we go for the books, there didn’t understand Arabic or English, so we gave up and just wandered in to the door on the right, we were lucky and finally found the library!!

To be honest, the library is pretty decent, although the library in my university was at least 10 times bigger. We found a desk on the side with two people in it. So I asked one of them if they have an archive of old newspapers and magazines, he said he’s not sure, and I should ask the other guy who was on the phone.

While waiting for the other guy, we asked the first guy about their opening hours, and he said: “we’re open from 8 am - 2 pm, and then from 4 pm……wait, let me check….(turns around and asks the other guy just as he finished from his phonecall)…fee dawaam 3asir??”
Other guy: “hmmm…..ilmafrooth feee bes il muwathafa maa ityiy so ma nifta7!!”
First guy (trying to iraggi3): “eee maakhtha ijaaza!”

How nice, our National Library closes during the day because the “muwathafa” stopped coming!?! I’ve seen Baqqalaaat that have a more efficient system than this!!

Anyway….back to my quest, so I ask the second guy about the archive, and he answers, “eee ako archive, (Im happy now!) but its on microfilm.” Fine, microfilm is ok, I dont mind that! So I ask him, can I check it out??
He answers: “laaa walla the machine maalat il microfilm doesn’t work!”
Me: “3ayal shloon al7een??”
Him: “mako walla, ta3al marra thaanya lamma insalli7ha”
Me: “Min mita kharbana?”
Him: (and I quote) “Min sinat yaddy!! Gabil kaan il printing kaaan kharbaan, al7een 7atta ilmachine to see it kharbaana!”

We left.

End of story.

Taken from the website of the ministry of education:

اما في الوقت الحاضر فهناك مكتبات ضخمة ومعروفة حيث تقدم جميع أنواع الثقافات للمستفيدين ومن اشهرها مكتبة المكتبة الأهلية بباريس والمكتبة البريطانية بلندن ومكتبة الفاتيكان ومكتبة امبروزو بميلان ، اما في الدول العربية فهناك مكتبة دار الكتب بالقاهرة ، ودار الكتب الظاهرية بدمشق ، والمكتبة الوطنية ببيروت ، ومكتبة الدولة او المكتبة الوطنية بدولة الكويت.