Interested in developing a program of information literacy and user education,  Jafet Library launched on October 6 a new facility for the members of the AUB community: the Antoun Ghattas Karam Electronic Classroom.

Equipped with 27 computers connected to the AUB network and a remotely controlled LCD projection system, this electronic classroom is named after professor of Arabic literature and AUB graduate the late Dr. Antoun Ghattas Karam.

This classroom is intended to serve as a computer laboratory open to all users during library hours but most of all it is tailored for all those who would like to have an interactive session on how to use resources provided by the library. The electronic classroom can also be reserved on-line by any faculty members wishing to demonstrate to students the methods of searching for data and information specific to a certain major or course. 

Speaking at the opening ceremony, President Waterbury talked about the late Dr. Antoun Ghattas Karam ( BA '45, MA '47), who completed both his AUB degrees in Arabic literature. His son, Dr. Shadi Karam, donor of the classroom, described his father as a man who "drew on a vast and diversified body of knowledge from several cultural galaxies," and went on to relate his experience with early AUB computing. "I remember that back in 1966 or 1967 when I was a young student, I used to take programming courses in the basement of this very building. At the time AUB had one of the first, maybe the first computer in Lebanon... We used to program it using Fortran with perforated cards, and a simple program used to eat up stacks of them. I remember my father used to be fascinated by those funny looking cards full of holes. I am sure he would not have objected to my initiative."

Dr. Karam thanked "the father of the idea," Office of Development Director Imad Baalbaki and University Librarian Helen Bikhazi and her team for the "time and effort invested to make this project a successful reality." He also thanked AUB for giving him "the opportunity to perpetuate the presence of Antoun Ghattas Karam on this campus he cherished so much."

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