It was a pleasure to meet with The Seattle Public Library (@SPLBuzz) Executive Director and Chief Librarian Tom Fay and Director of Institutional and Strategic Advancement Rick Sheridan to discuss new opportunities for cultural and educational cooperation.
As a practical first step, the Consulate General donated 10 books representing Uzbek literature, history, and national culture to the Library’s collection. The selection includes works by prominent Uzbek authors such as Abdulla Qodiriy, Pirimqul Qodirov, Odil Yoqubov, O‘tkir Hoshimov, and Xudoyberdi To‘xtaboyev.
The meeting also explored opportunities to expand the Library’s collection of Uzbek-language books, establish direct partnerships with libraries in Uzbekistan, organize exhibitions and an Uzbekistan Literature Week, and introduce more Seattle readers to Uzbekistan’s rich literary and cultural heritage.
Another initiative discussed was the possibility of including an Uzbek word or phrase among the many languages displayed at the Seattle Central Library.
This meaningful cooperation will bring Uzbekistan’s rich literary heritage closer to Seattle readers while adding a new cultural dimension to the historic sister-city relationship between Tashkent and Seattle.
