Preserving Yesterday Today for Tomorrow: The Fight To Save Ethiopia’s Cultural Treasures
By: Azeb Tadesse

On Sunday, August 14, 2005, the American Friends of the Institute of Ethiopian Studies–West Coast Chapter (AFIES-West) held a fundraising reception for the Institute of Ethiopian Study’s new $5 million state-of-the-art library project. The inaugural reception, attended by over 120 people, introduced AFIES-West and acquainted attendees with the state of affairs that has called for the construction of a fully automated building to house the IES library. “This is a first of many informational events, dedicated to supporting the library project,” said Tafesse Woubeshet, AFIES-West chairman.

Founded in 1963, the Institute of Ethiopian Studies (IES) is housed in Emperor Haile Selassie's former palace on the main campus of Addis Ababa University. IES is the oldest of the five research institutes within the Addis Ababa University system. It was established to develop and operate a library and ethnographic museum, to produce scholarly publications, to lead and coordinate research on Ethiopia and to serve as the center for Ethiopian studies nationally and internationally. For almost 25 years, IES has facilitated Ethiopian studies through conferences, lectures, publications and most importantly, through its museum and library.