Funeral and Burial of Iran's Most Renowned Librarian

The body of Pourandokht (Pouri) Soltani, one of the founders of library and information science, was buried on Sunday after a funeral held in front of the National Library of Iran, in the section of notable figures at Behesht Zahra Cemetery in Tehran. Various literary and artistic figures, as well as some cultural managers of Iran, attended the funeral ceremony. Reza Salehi Amiri, head of the National Archives and Library of Iran, was among the speakers at the ceremony, who, according to ISNA news agency, referred to the impact of personalities like Ms. Soltani on the cultural community and book lovers. Kamran Fani, a well-known writer and researcher, was also another speaker at the funeral of Pouri Soltani. Other attendees included Mohammad Reza Shafiei Kadkani, a prominent poet and professor of Iranian literature, and Mahmoud Dowai, the editor-in-chief of the newspaper Ettelaat. Pourandokht Soltani passed away on Saturday at the age of 84 in Tehran. She had been hospitalized in the intensive care unit due to heart and lung failure and intestinal obstruction since November 3. She was a well-known figure in the Iranian cultural and artistic community due to her continuous activities in the field of librarianship and the enhancement of the quality of libraries in Iran for half a century. Pourandokht Soltani is considered one of the main figures in the expansion of modern library sciences in Iran. In her youth, she was married to Morteza Kiavand, a well-known journalist and political activist. This marriage lasted only three months following the arrest and execution of Mr. Kiavand after the events of 1953. She was one of the founders of the Iranian Library Center and played an important role in the development of higher education in librarianship in Iran. Ms. Soltani was a faculty member at the University of Tehran and also part of the library group at the National Library of Iran, training many students in the field of librarianship. Pouri Soltani received the Iran Science Promotion Award from the Iranian Library and Information Association. The board of this association has approved the establishment of an award in the name of Pouri Soltani, which will be granted to innovative librarians and libraries in the field of information sciences. Ms. Soltani was also the author of several reference books in the field of librarianship in Iran, such as the "Encyclopedia of Librarianship and Information Science." She also published a translation of the famous book "The Art of Loving" by Erich Fromm, which has been reprinted several times. In June of this year, the Bokhara magazine held a tribute for Pourandokht Soltani. At this ceremony, Ms. Soltani once again spoke about her passion for librarianship and the enhancement of the quality of the National Library of Iran, expressing concern about the status of the National Library, stating that "her heart still beats and yearns for the National Library of Iran." After the passing of Pouri Soltani, many cultural and literary figures in Iran have praised her and her activities in their comments. Pouri Soltani's name also appears in one of the poems by Ahmad Shamlou, a well-known poet, titled "Look."