Why is this thread on the ARSC list? It belongs elsewhere! Steve Smolian Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] NYT: Online Library Wants It All, Every Book > >"One lesson of the > >original Library of Alexandria," he said, "is don't just > >have one copy." > > > > Fire hits Alexandria library > A fire has broken out in Egypt's newly-opened Alexandria library, and 29 > people have been rushed to local hospitals suffering from smoke inhalation. > The fire was blamed on a short circuit. > > The extent of damage at Bibliotheca Alexandrina has yet to be determined, > but the fire appeared to be restricted to fourth-floor administrative > offices. > > Sixteen fire engines rushed to the scene and put out the blaze in about 45 > minutes. Fifteen ambulances were seen outside the evacuated library. > > "We were evacuated to outside, then [the] fire department arrived. The smoke > [has] stopped now - everybody is safe, thank God," Leila Dewidar, head of > the library's grants division, said. > > Student spectators > > Fire contributed to the destruction of the original Alexandria library, one > of the world's great centres of learning in the ancient world. > > > As the library was evacuated, hundreds of students from nearby colleges > gathered to watch. > > Bibliotheca Alexandrina is located in the middle of Alexandria's > newly-renovated seaside promenade. > > It was formally opened in October 2002 with great fanfare. > > The inaugural ceremony was attended by Egyptian President, Hosni Mubarak, > and about 3,000 dignitaries from around the world, including France's > President Jacques Chirac, and his Italian and Greek counterparts Carlo > Azeglio Ciampi and Costas Stefanopoulos. > > The $230 million project - which attracted international financial and > logistical support - hopes to capture the spirit of the ancient Alexandria > library that was founded around 295 BC by Ptolemy I Soter. > > The ancient library, which burned down in the 4th Century, was an > international intellectual centre. > > The new library - which has room for 4 million volumes- contains about > 240,000 books. It also contains a planetarium, a conference hall, five > research institutes, six galleries and three museums. > > > Story from BBC NEWS: > http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/1/hi/world/middle_east/2812765.stm