TEHRAN -- Director of the Austrian National Library Director Johanna Rachinger accompanied by a delegation traveled to Iran to expand cooperation with the Iran National Library and Archive (INLA).

Rachinger and the delegation arrived in Tehran Monday morning and will be in Iran for a week.
The Director of Collection of Manuscripts and Early Prints at the Austrian National Library Andreas Fingernagel named the introduction to Iran of oriental manuscripts available at the Austrian National Library as one of the main objectives of this trip.
Other libraries including Majlis Library, Astan-e Qods Library, Malek Library and the Centeral Library of the University of Tehran will attend meetings held for these officials, the director for international affairs of INLA Hamed Yari mentioned in a press release.
The Director of Picture Archives of the Austrian National Library Hans Petschar will speak during a meeting entitled “The Aims and Methods of Digitalizing the Austrian National Library”.
Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini and Director of the Austrian National Library Rachinger will sign a MOU to share digital material and exchange resources, Yari mentioned.
The previous INLA Director Ali-Akbar Ash’ari left his post to which he had not been appointed officially in January 2011. A new director has yet to be appointed.
The Austrian delegation will also pay a visit to historical sites of the Iranian cities Isfahan and Shiraz during their 7-day stay in Iran, he said.