I am writing the lines and sentences of this editorial for the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library Annals, Nos. XXIII-XXIV, respectively, in the years 2004 and 2005, with a particular feeling of joy. If this edition of the Annals has come forward as the result of efforts by a large number of persons, who happen to be involved with their scope of work (or as they like to say within the colloquial expression in the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Li- brary), their line of work tied to the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library, but, within these covers one can also find the papers and contributions of a number of experts and friends of our glorious institution.
Before we allow our readers to diverse contents-matters of this number of the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library Annals, let us list, rather briefly, what had been done between the previous number of this issue, the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Libary Annals, Nos. XXI-XXII in the year 2003. It would cover both what seemed to be important, but also what kind of activities re- lated to this institution deserved to be mentioned here.
The Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library Director, Mr. Mustafa Jahić, has con- tinued with his associates and collaborators to work on the Library’s most important project, the expert preparation of the catalogue of manu- scripts. Since the issue of the previous Number of the Annals (XXI -
XXII) the thirteenth volume (XIII) of the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library cata- logue has been published. It contained the manuscripts that dealt with tasawuff. The author of this catalogue has been hafiz Haso Popara. Let us mention only in passing that the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library encom- passed, with this 13th Volume, all the scientific areas that happened to be in its treasury holdings, which had already been published in the pre- vious volumes of its catalogues.
The most recent testimony of the systemic attention dedicated to cata- loguing of the manuscripts and their riches in the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Li- brary can be found in the fourteenth Volume of its catalogue. It has been prepared by Mr. Osman Lavić. This volume has just been issued from the printing presses.
We would like to mention here, with enormous gratitude, the Al- Furqan Foundation from London (UK), which continued to support, both in terms of funds and expertise, the activities connected with the prepara- tions of manuscripts, as well as the publication of catalogues and filming of Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library manuscripts.
The collaboration that theb Dorector Jahić had already established, and continued to foster with the key persons from the Al-Furqan Foun- dation from London, sheikh Ahmad Zaki Yamani and Prof. dr. Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, bore many fruits and abundant results. Thanks to this collaboration, where other Library associate and collaborators followed Director Jahić in these activities, the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library became one of the best covered and organised libraries in terms of cata- loguing of Arabic, Persian and Turkish manuscripts in the world.
One could reinforce such a statement by a simple mention of the most recent activities in the premises of the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library in Sarajevo. It has just started to work on the remaining manuscripts that had not been worked upon so far. They would appear in the next two cataloguing volumes. It is expected that only a few hundreds of mushaf manuscripts would remain behind and ready for further work, once this project came through.
One should also add to aforementioned that the large microfilming project also came to a completion. The manuscripts are now available in the filmed form, and a number of long-lasting quality copies had been made available. They are kept on several locations.
Scanning of manuscripts continued. In the meantime, thanks to the Juma Al-Majid Centre from Dubai (United Arab Emirates), the filming of manuscripts using the most sophisticated digital equipment has also begun.
A particular novelty which ought to be mentioned with a special kind of pleasure has been the installation of the Centre for manuscript restoration within the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library. This centre fro “heal- ing the manuscripts” continued to develop because of the enormous amount of help kindly provided from the Juma Al-Majid Centre in Dubai.
One should also mention in the end that the first stage of construc- tion of the new premises for the Gazi Husrev Bey’s Library also came to completion. One should especially compliment the activities for the con-
struction of the new Library‘s premises, which have been conducted through the efforts of Raisu l-ulamma Dr. Mustafa eff. Cerić and the Islamic Community in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Raisu l-ulamma’s Of- fice.
We do sincerely hope that the final procurement for the equipment of the new building would take place before long. Director Jahić and his associates have done everything in their powers that the manuscripts and holdings happen to be reborn in the new premises in front of many new readers and users.
In Sarajevo, April 17, 2005