Lyna Mohamad
Universiti Islam Sultan Sharif Ali (UNISSA) launched its Mahmud Saedon Law Collection Room during a ceremony coinciding with the university’s World Book Day 2023 celebration recently.
The room was named after late Dato Paduka Seri Setia Professor Dr Haji Mahmud Saedon bin Awang Othman, in recognition of his expertise in the fields of law and Islamic law that became the basis of offering Diploma in Law and Syar’ie Law in the country.
Meanwhile, World Book Day has been declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to be marked every April 23.
Organised by UNISSA through the university’s library in collaboration with the Centre for Research and Publication (PPP) and the Centre for the Promotion of Knowledge and Language (PPIB), the two-day celebration was marked with a launching ceremony by the university’s rector Dr Haji Norarfan bin Haji Zainal as the guest of honour.
The celebration also saw the launch of the Nadi Maktabah Library Club and the re-opening of the UNISSA Press Book Store, as well as the presentation of certificates to the Best Academician Patron, Best Student Patron, PEWAKAF of UNISSA Library and winners of the library’s social media activities.
Dr Haji Norarfan visited the Ma’radh al-Kutub exhibition and sales booth of government publishers and local bookstores.
The university rector also toured the Mahmud Saedon Law Collection room, which features a collection of his books donated by his family to UNISSA and waqaf from late Pehin Diraja Khatib Dato Paduka Seri Setia Ustaz Haji Awang Yahya bin Haji Ibrahim in addition to donations from Brunei Shell Petroleum Company Sdn Bhd.
The room is a one-stop centre for legal reference materials, especially civil law, with more than 3,500 law books available including civil law textbooks, the latest legal report books in the Sultanate as well as abroad used in studies.
The room is also equipped with a computer for students to access online law databases subscribed by UNISSA as well as the library’s digital books.
The room serves as one of UNISSA’s efforts to improve the management of the library’s law books to ease access and updating as well as meet the needs of the UNISSA law programme.
The World Book Day celebration also served to foster an interest in reading and increase the sensitivity of the UNISSA community to scientific books available on the market and in the library while drawing more people to visit the library and promote its collection and services.
In addition to Ma’radh al-Kutub, several activities were held in conjunction with the World Book Day Week, including book discussions, book repair services, reading and problem-solving activities organised by PPIB, and library scavenger hunt activities, organised by Nadi Maktabah UNISSA.
