Unveiling of "Bibliography of Lithographic Textbooks"

The Educational Research and Planning Organization's Public Relations and International Affairs Department announced the unveiling ceremony for the book Bibliography of Lithographic Textbooks. The event was attended by Gholamali Haddad Adel, member of the Cultural Revolution Council; Gholamreza Amirkhani, head of the National Archives and Library Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran; Ali Latifi, deputy minister and head of the Educational Research and Planning Organization; members of the Board of Directors; and colleagues from the organization.

Compiled by Azardokht Kohestani in collaboration with Akram Aini, one of the organization's experts, and published by “Madrasah” Publications, this book represents a major effort to catalog and highlight lithographic textbooks held in the organization's library archives.

The Textbook Archive in the organization's library is a unique educational treasure trove, housing a priceless collection of textbooks from before and after the Dar al-Fonon era. The earliest lithographic textbook in the collection, Baday' al-Hesab, dates back to 1846. Lithographic printing flourished during the Qajar period and continued into the early Pahlavi era, allowing this archive to amass a substantial body of textbooks from that time.

Biblipgraphy of Lithographic Textbooks organizes details on 345 titles across two main sections: "Descriptive Bibliography" and "Analytical Bibliography." The descriptive section covers authors' names, manuscript details, typeface, printing location, printing house, and related notes for each title. The analytical section categorizes content by subject headings, additional identifiers, authors' and translators' names, and other key details.

Lithography, a pivotal pre-printing-press method, blended physical and chemical processes to enable mass reproduction of books. Its rise boosted arts like calligraphy, illumination, stone carving, and illustration, alongside printing trades, yielding enduring masterpieces in Iranian publishing history.

Beyond spotlighting the archive's rare copies, this bibliography supports scientific resource organization, data entry into library systems, quick searches, and research on lithographic textbooks. It also includes numerous appendix lists.

The Educational Research and Planning Organization views this publication as a vital step in safeguarding Iran's educational heritage and easing researchers' access to historical materials.