In 2001, the Ministry of Culture launched a major public reading project by creating Centers of Reading and Cultural Animation (CLAC) in partnership with the International Organization of La Francophonie(OIF) in order to promote cultural and social development in rural areas.  The organization sets up this project in more than 20 French-speaking countries and its network consists of more than 250 centers.

At the beginning, this project was set up in 14 villages and communities in Lebanon. The ministry of Culture provided support to these centers within its budget and expanded the project to several regions and villages throughout Lebanon. It should be noted that the ministry has several ongoing projects.

There are 44 centers all around Lebanon.

Developing Public Reading represents a key objective of the Ministry of Culture policy. Therefore, the Ministry attaches importance to Public Libraries, and came up with the idea of setting up a network of public libraries supported by the ministry through providing books, organizing cultural activities and providing consultancy and expertise to the staff in charge of these library and facilitating their activities.

The ministry signed cooperation agreement with the libraries of several municipalities and associations. Thus, these libraries are then considered as “partner libraries”

Besides, the ministry signed in February 2003 a partnership agreement with municipalities and associations throughout Lebanon.

It is worth noting that the Ministry has 25 projects aiming to create and develop public libraries.

There are more than 120 partner libraries in Lebanon. 

In parallel to the the ministry efforts , civil society had been mobilized through associations, municipalities, cultural clubs and individuals and took significant measures to  develop  and promote public libraries in Lebanon .

The most important, active and widespread libraries network is  ASSABIL association network founded in 1997 aiming to create free public libraries in Lebanon.

The network of public libraries has a centralized structure allowing it to provide cooperation and exchange expertise through its relation with Assabil association.

ASSABIL association created in 2000 the first public library in Beirut in the neighborhoods of Bachoura in cooperation with the Municipality of Beirut, and opened two public libraries in Monot and Geitawi. It also has 10 ongoing projects aiming to create libraries in Beirut.

The network ASSABIL has 25 libraries throughout Lebanon.