News

American University in Cairo, Egypt (AUC) is the latest organization to join the Digital Preservation Coalition, as they become Associate Members.

The American University in Cairo was founded in 1919, and from the beginning considered enrichment of Egypt’s cultural life part of its mission, sponsoring lectures and other public programming featuring important thinkers and creative individuals. The major entry of The Rare Books and Special Collections Library of AUC Libraries into the area of preserving cultural heritage came with AUC’s acquisition of the personal library of pioneering scholar of Islamic Art and Architecture Sir K.A.C. Creswell in the 1950s which, with its rare and valuable book holdings, served as the core resource for the university’s Arab Studies offerings. The library’s holdings house important donated archival collections in various disciplines, include pioneer scholars in Islamic architecture, Egypt’s leading architects, world-class photographers, local Egyptologists, famous journalists and prolific artists as well as evidence of everyday Egyptians shaping their nation as in the 2011 revolution, for preserving cultural heritage materials.