Ammon News - Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh met on Monday with members of the National Committee for the Family Library at the ministry's headquarters during the first meeting of the higher committee for the Jordanian Family Library program's 20th session for 2026.

According to a ministry statement, the meeting emphasized the importance of titles related to the Jordanian narrative and the works of Jordanian creative writers, alongside an interest in translations from foreign languages to open up to human knowledge and introduce the Jordanian reader to world literatures and cultures.

Rawashdeh called for a review of the project’s previous experiences, specifically regarding book selections and publication titles, to ensure they respect national constants, Arab and Islamic values, and societal traditions. He noted that focus this year will be placed on the Jordanian author, the child, and the woman, and that a specialized reading committee will be formed.

The minister stressed the importance of maintaining intellectual property rights and protecting the rights of creators.

Rawashdeh explained that the program is one of the ministry’s most prominent projects and a key pillar of the creative cultural industries linked to comprehensive and sustainable development. He added that the program represents a qualitative knowledge product and creates a cultural state through sales centers that transform into a knowledge season extending across governorates.

He pointed out that the program's importance stems from its direct connection to various segments of society, ages, and interests, contributing to raising societal awareness and enhancing Arabic cultural content in cyberspace.

The minister emphasized the need to focus on titles linked to the Jordanian narrative, coinciding with a series of national dialogues in the governorates, as well as titles related to national history to introduce generations to the country's civilizational achievements and Arab identity. Priority this year will be given to the products of Jordanian creators, alongside continued interest in qualitative translation.

The committee, chaired by the Minister of Culture, includes Secretary-General of the Ministry of Culture Nidal Al-Ahmad, Atef Odibat, Saad Abu Dayyeh, Al-Mahdi Al-Rawadia, Samir Staitieh, Imad Al-Dmour, Abdullah Al-Anbar, Fawwaz Abdul Haq, writer Nayef Al-Nawaiseh, Amer Al-Smadi, Ahmed Al-Ajarma, and Nasser Shabaneh. It also includes a representative from the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation, Salem Al-Daham as a member and project manager, and Director of the Cultural Promotion and Marketing Directorate Ibrahim Al-Amiri as committee rapporteur.

Al-Daham confirmed during the meeting that the Jordanian Family Library project is a leading community cultural project targeting all social segments, providing cultural material that touches their passions and needs across all fields of knowledge, including thought, philosophy, history, literature, and sociology. The project aims to balance enjoyment and benefit to transform reading from a slogan into a living social practice.

The Jordanian Family Library project was launched in 2007 under the patronage of Queen Rania Al-Abdullah. Over 19 years, the program has published approximately 1,200 titles in various fields of knowledge, science, and literature, in addition to children's books.