On December 1st, 2022 we announced to our followers the opening of the Ivanaj Book Club in our premises in Tirana, and now we have something else to add to it.
While the club is flourishing and attracting new participants, a natural extension that has to do with books came about when we became aware of the recent initiative of an Albanian student, Emira Selimi, born and raised in Skopje, to build the first library of the Albanian language in Manastir (North Macedonia). It is planned for this year’s 115th anniversary of the Manastir Congress that was held in that city in November 1908. That event is known for the standardization of the Alphabet of the Albanian language.
Lost among the lands that were left outside the country, this city is losing its very significant identity for Albanians everywhere and the Albanian language. Every day fewer and fewer Albanians poorly identify themselves in relation to their language. After the loss, burning, theft and destruction of material heritage since 1913, ethnographic oblivion and that part of the unwritten culture, such as art crafting or embroideries, also the Albanian language seems to be in danger of disappearing, and the new generations write less and less in Albanian.
Thus, in perfect tune with our own mission and goals to promote education and knowledge among young people within the territory of Albania and beyond, the Ivanaj Foundations of New York and Tirana are happy and ready to support the currently ongoing initiative of Emira Selimi. Many Albanians are already contributing one, two or several books to establish this library, and we are also physically involved in this collection within our Tirana premises.
Our “Donate” page always offers to anyone and the entire Albanian Diaspora a variety of alternatives to make donations by a simple click online; however, for this particular library project, we, in cooperation with our Book Club collaborators, have initiated an online fundraiser through the GoFundMe platform, for the reconstruction of the environment of the Manastir Museum, where this Library will be located.
Please share our appeal with your connections and also have an additional way to process your contribution! Thank you!
