Library services The BA's mission is to be a center of excellence in the production and dissemination of knowledge and to be a place of dialogue, learning and understanding between cultures and peoples. The Bibliotheca Alexandrina offers several additional such as book fairs, book launches, ceremonies, cinema, competitions, concerts, conferences, educational courses, exhibitions, festivals, forums, lectures, meetings, performances, presentations, reading activities, round table discussions, seminars, shows, theater, training courses, video-conferences and workshops for adults, children, young people and the academic community. Here are some of the areas and exhibits that it comprises: The main library Can hold up to 8 million books. Six specialized libraries The Arts and Multimedia Library The Taha Hussein Library for the visually impaired The Children's Library The Young People's Library The Microforms Library The Rare Books and Special Collections Library A copy of the Internet Archive The library provides access to print on demand books via the Espresso Book Machine. Taha Hussein Library for the Blind and Visually Impaired The Taha Hussein Library contains materials for the blind and visually impaired using special software that makes it possible for readers to read books and journals. It is named after Taha Hussein, the Egyptian professor of Arabic and literary critic and one of the leading figures of the Arab Renaissance (Nahda) in literature, who was himself blinded at the age of three. Nobel Section Contains book collections of Nobel Prize Laureates in Literature from 1901 to present. The Nobel Section was inaugurated by Queen Silvia of Sweden and Queen Sonja of Norway on 24 April 2002. International Institutions Arab Regional Office of the Academy of Science for the Developing World International Federation for Library Associations Regional Office Secretariat of the Arab National Commissions of UNESCO Four museums Antiquities Museum Established in 2001, the BA Antiquities Museum is the first archeological museum to be situated within a library. The primary aims of the museum are to promote research, creativity, and cultural awareness. Holding approximately 1,316 artifacts, the Antiquities Museum collection provides a glimpse into Egyptian history from the Pharaonic era to the conquest of Alexander the Great to the Roman civilizations before the advent of Islam across Egypt. The collection includes underwater antiquities from the Mediterranean seabed near the Eastern Harbour and the Bay of Abukir. The museum provides descriptions of artifacts in three languages: English, Arabic, and French. Manuscript Museum The Manuscript Museum provides visitors and