The Ancient Alexandria Library Anew for the 21st Century

The Ancient Alexandria Library Anew for the 21st Century
Tuesday, July 23, 10:30 a.m.
Diplomatic Center
Department of State

AAFSW, in collaboration with Baltimore Luxor Alexandria Sister City Committee, cordially invites you to join us for an amazing program entitled “The Ancient Alexandria Library Anew for the 21st Century,” presented by Ms. Heba ElRafey, Director of Public Relations and International Communications for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, the great library in Alexandria, Egypt.

The program will take place on Tuesday, July 23 at 10:30 a.m. at the Diplomatic Center of the State Department in Washington, DC.

Alexandria, Egypt, was a world center of knowledge and learning in the third century BCE, when its ancient library gathered scrolls and scholars from around the world. Now the Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) continues to be a world-renowned center for research, learning and collaboration. Learn how this magnificent library in the 21st century is dedicated to recapturing the spirit of openness and scholarship of the ancient library.

RSVP by Friday, July 19 to office@aafsw.org or 703-820-5420 to register. All attendees without a State Department badge will need to provide a driver’s license or passport number and date of birth to submit to the Office of Security at the State Department. In addition, please send a check made out to AAFSW for $5 for members and $10 for non-members (to defray the cost of coffee and tea service) to AAFSW Reservations, 4001 Ninth Street North, Suite 214, Arlington VA, 22203. You may also pay by PayPal on the AAFSW website: scroll down to find the PayPal “Donate” button on the right sidebar of the homepage. On the PayPal page, enter the amount you wish to pay, then click on “Donate with Debit or Credit Card.” You will have the option to “Write a note” – e.g., “Payment for July AAFSW program” if you wish. AAFSW receives notification of all payments. If you have already RSVP’d to office@aafsw.org, we will know what the payment is for.

Please come to the 21st Street NW entrance of the Department of State (between C Street and Virginia Avenue NW). There is no number on the building, but if you put “330 21st Street NW” in your GPS, the location will appear. After going through security, you will be directed to the left side of the atrium, where we will be checking people in. Then guests will go down the staircase to the lower level of the Diplomacy Center. There is an elevator also.

The closest metro is Foggy Bottom (Blue, Orange, Silver lines).
Parking: Columbia Plaza – on the corner of Virginia Avenue and 23rd Street. Columbia Plaza may be entered from Virginia Avenue or E Street. Expensive – $25 for more than 2 hours.
There is a small parking garage at 2112 F Street NW, which is less expensive than Columbia Plaza, but space is limited.

We will have an informal coffee (and tea) social time, which begins at 10:30 a.m., followed by the presentation beginning at 11:00 a.m.

We look forward to seeing you.

Sheila Switzer
AAFSW Program Chair