King Saud Library in Buraydah is a public government library, considered one of the oldest public government libraries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It is located in Buraydah City, the administrative capital of Qassim Province.
History of King Saud Library in Buraydah
King Saud Library in Buraydah was established in 1945 by Omar Bin Mohammed Bin Salim. In its beginning, it consisted of a single room attached to the main mosque. After the founder passed away, King Saud Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud approved its transformation into an independent public library, following a request submitted by the then-judge of Buraydah, Sheikh Abdullah Bin Mohammed Bin Humaid.
In 2002, Prince Sultan Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud inaugurated the library’s new building, which occupies an area of 13,000 m², comprises three floors. It provides scientific information resources for students and researchers, including a dedicated women’s section for female visitors.
Contents of King Saud Library in Buraydah
King Saud Library contains books and studies across various fields of science and knowledge. It focuses on developing the abilities and skills of its beneficiaries by offering cultural and intellectual activities and by participating in social events organized in Qassim Province. The library features several sections, including a Technical Procedures Section, which catalogs and classifies new books, and a Newspapers and Periodicals Section, where periodicals are arranged in a dedicated space for easy visitor access. Some are archived for future reference when requested by researchers.
The library has four halls with books indexed using modern methods. It also includes an electronic library and internet service section established to facilitate access to the library’s contents. It participates in the "Noon E-Library," a large collection of cultural books. It has also made the digital library of the Governor of Qassim Province, Prince Dr. Faisal Bin Mishaal Bin Abdulaziz, available to visitors.
The library also contains numerous historical and scientific books, 23,283 titles, and more than 73,000 books that benefit students and researchers in their studies. Additionally, some individuals donate their personal libraries as charitable endowments after their death, for which a special stamp bearing each endowment’s name is used to mark those books so they are not mixed with the rest of the collection. If any titles in these endowed libraries are not already found in the main library, they are added to the general collection after marking their ownership with the stamp.
The library includes several manuscripts, the earliest of which dates back to 1429, titled Jami' al-'Uloom wal-Hikam fi Sharh Arba'een Hadithan min Jawamiʿ al-Kalim (Compendium of Knowledge and Wisdom in Explaining Forty Hadith from the Comprehensive Words), copied by Yusuf Bin Yusuf Bin Mohammed Bin Khidr. They have been restored, and copies of which have been registered with King Fahd National Library. The library also contains a mini children’s library of about three thousand books and stories, color-coded to facilitate monitoring and organization based on age groups.
Activities and services of King Saud Library in Buraydah
King Saud Library in Buraydah participates in cultural activities and public events in Saudi Arabia, such as National Day, international days like World Arabic Language Day and World Poetry Day, and regional occasions in each province. The library’s activities are not limited to its premises but extend beyond them in collaboration with other entities throughout the year, depending on the occasion, invitation, or participation request. The library also offers external book lending services.
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