Bringing books back to Mosul

A direct attack on learning and free thought

When Islamic State militants attacked Mosul in Iraq in 2014, one of their first acts was to burn down  the University of Mosul library. UNESCO called it: “one of the most devastating acts of destruction of library collections in human history”.

Many priceless books were lost, the library building was left in ruins and tens of thousands of students were unable to access the academic books they needed for their studies.

Restoring the lost collection

But, since 2018, we’ve stood side-by-side with the University of Mosul, providing brand new, carefully selected higher education texts to restore the library’s lost collection.

By providing higher education books spanning the sciences, engineering, the humanities and medicine, we are helping students find both knowledge and inspiration.

It is a small part to play in the overall restoration, but we are proud of our contribution to helping students in Mosul thrive as the city around them rebuilds.