About Us

Maldives Library Association (MLA) was registered at the Ministry of Home Affairs on 11^th March 1987. The two founders of the Association are: Ms. Habeeba Hussain Habeeb (Fmr. Executive Director of the National Library) and Ms. Zulfa Mohamed (Fmr. Director of the National Library) with the assistance of an overseas advisor, Ms. Janet Fleming, who worked at the National Library from 1986 to 1987.

The main aim of the MLA is to work towards developing the libraries and the field of librarianship in the Maldives, by establishing and coordinating a sustainable network of libraries, librarians and information managers.

The current (Jan 2023- Dec 2024) MLA council members are:

• Ms. Ajra Rafeeq (President)
• Ms. Aminath Shiuna (Advisor) – default post as the President of previous term
• Ms. Salwa Kareem (Vice President) (2023; resigned Dec 2023)
  Vacant (2024)
• Ms. Thuzuhath Ahmed (Secretary)
• Dr. Aminath Riyaz (Treasurer)
• Ms. Fathimath Nashath (Training officer)
• Ms. Fathimath Nashfa (Editor)
• Ms. Athiyya Shakeel (Public Relations Officer)
• Ms. Aminath Nasiha (Assistant Secretary)
• Ms. Majidha Ali (additional member)
• Ms. Aminath Shazina (additional member) (2023; resigned Dec 2023)
  Ms Mariyam Sobeeha (additional member) (2024; Appointed Jan 2024)

Check this link for member profiles

Past Council members:

2021-2022

The onset of COVID-19 pandemic in Dec 2019, and prolonging to uncertainties leading to curfew and lockdown, as well as post-pandemic anxieties proved to be a testing time for MLA in mobilizing its members to contribute volunteer hours. With the difficulty faced in conducting Council meetings, which traditionally was expected to be conducted physically, MLA Council team experienced delays in managing to host a general meeting to elect a new Council. Thereby MLA became completely inactive from June 2020 to Sept 2022. Taking these into consideration a resolution was passed by the outgoing Council on 3 December 2022 to:

• declare 2020 a year of transiting through the movement restrictions and curfews imposed by the authorities to curb the COVID-19 pandemic. Accordingly, and also given the financial hardship many experienced, fee payment for MLA membership was waived for the year, and
• declare 2021 and 2022 as inactive years of MLA and thereby waived the fee payment for MLA membership for these two years.

Jan 2018- June 2020

• Ms. Aminath Shiuna (President)
• Ms. Fathimath Nashath, (Adviser) – default post as the President of the last term
• Ms. Athiyya Shakeel (Vice President)
• Ms. Nabaha Amir (Secretary)
• Ms. Shafeea Shakir (Treasurer) – resigned mid-term
• Ms. Aminath Hasma (Training officer)
• Ms. Aminath Riyaz (Editor)
• Ms. Laxmi Hawin (Public Relations Officer)
• Ms. Rishfa Ibrahim (Assistant Secretary)
• Ms. Aishath Thanee (additional member)
• Ms. Zaheena Ibrahim (additional member)

 

Jan 2017- Dec 2018

• Ms. Fathimath Nashath (President)
• Ms. Mahasin Ahmed Didi, (Adviser) – default post as the President of the last term
• Ms. Khadeeja Mohamed (Vice President)
• Ms. Shoora Shakir (Editor) 
• Ms. Badhurunnisa Abdullah (Secretary)
• Ms. Fathimath Ahmed (Assistant Secretary)
• Ms. Thifla Umar (Training officer)
• Ms. Shafeea Shakir (Treasurer)
• Ms. Aminath Abdulla (Public Relations Officer)
• Ms. Aminath Jameel (additional member)
• Ms. Sulthan Saeed (additional member)

Jan 2014- Dec 2016

• Ms. Mahasin Ahmed Didi (President)
• Ms. Aminath Riyaz, (Adviser) – default post as the President of the last term
• Ms. Fathimath Nashath (Vice President)
• Ms. Fathimath Shiham (Editor)
• Ms. Asiyath Subath (Secretary)
• Ms. Aishath Shabana (Assistant Secretary)
• Ms. Samiya Mohamed (Training officer)
• Ms. Shafeea Shakir (Treasurer)
• Ms. Shadhiya Adhnan (Public Relations Officer)
• Ms. Rishfa Ibrahim (additional member)
• Ms. Salwa Kareem (additional member)

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June 2012- Jan 2014

• Ms. Aminath Riyaz (President)
• Ms. Aishath Shabana, (Adviser) – default post as the President of the last term
• Ms. Fathimath Nashath (Vice President)
• Ms. Fathimath Nashfa (Editor)
• Ms. Aminath Shazina (Secretary)
• Ms. Fathimath Visala (Assistant Secretary) – resigned mid-term
• Ms. Rugiyya Sajidha (Assistant Secretary) – elected mid-term for the vacant post
• Ms. Athiyya Shakeel (Training officer)
• Ms. Aminath Shiuna (Public Relations Officer)
• Ms. Shafeea Shakir (Treasurer)
• Ms. Samiya Mohamed (additional member)
• Ms. Riyaza Mohamed (additional member)

Jan 2011- Dec 2012

• Ms. Aishath Shabana, MNU (President)
• Ms. Habeeba Hussain Habeeb, NL retired (Advisor)
• Ms. Fathmath Shiham, NLM (Vice President)
• Ms. Aminath Riyaz, MNU (Editor)
• Ms. Aminath Shiuna, MNU (Secretary)
• Ms. Thuzuhath Ahmed (Assistant secretary) – resigned mid-term
• Ms. Fathimath Nashath (Assistant Secretary) – elected mid-term for the vacated post
• Ms. Athiyya Shakeel, MNU (Training officer)
• Ms. Guleyfa Mohamed, NL (Public Relations Officer) – resigned mid-term
• Ms. Aishath Afra Waheed, MNU (Public Relations Officer)- elected mid-term for the vacated post
• Ms. Fathimath Nashfa, MNU (Treasurer)
• Mr. Mohamed Faisal, MNDF (additional member) – resigned mid-term
• Mr. Ibrahim Shiyam, NLM (additional member) – elected mid-term for the vacated post
• Ms. Nafha Mohamed Ahmed (additional member) – resigned mid-term
• Mr. Amman Adam, (additional member) – elected mid-term for the vacated post

Jan 2007- Jan 2010

• Ms. Aishath Shabana, MCHE (President)
• Ms. Habeeba Hussain Habeeb, NL retired (Adviser)
• Ms. Fathmath Shiham, NL (Vice President)
• Mr. Mohamed Rasheed, Rasheed Library (Vice President)
• Ms. Zulfa Mohamed, NL (Editor)
• Ms. Hawwa Nasiha, NL (Sub editor)
• Ms. Aminath Shiuna, MCHE (Secretary)
• Ms. Fathmath Nashath, NL (Assistant secretary)
• Ms. Athiyya Shakeel, MCHE (Training officer)
• Ms. Aminath Shehenaz, NL (Public Relations Officer)
• Mr. Gayoom, NL (Treasurer)

Dec 2004- Dec 2006

• Ms. Habeeba Hussain Habeeb, NL (President)
• Mr. Easa Mohamed Sameer, MCHE (Adviser)
• Ms. Aminath Riyaz, MCHE (Vice President)
• Mr. Mohamed Rasheed, Rasheed Library (Vice President)
• Ms. Fathmath Muneera, NL (Editor)
• Ms. Aishath Shiuna, MNDF (Sub editor)
• Ms. Hawwa Nasiha /Aminath Shehenaz [Aminath Ibrahim Didi], NL (Secretary)
• Ms. Aminath Shehenaz / Mariyam Ameena (Assistant secretary)
• Ms. Thifla Umar, NL (Training officer)
• Ms. Shaliya Adam, NL (Public Relations Officer)
• Ms. Zulfa Mohamed, NL / Saniyya Abdulla, NL  (Treasurer)

1997, 1998

• Ms. Habeeba Hussain Habeeb, NL (President – also Editor by default)
• Ms. Muneera (Adviser)
• Ms. Zulfa Mohamed, NL (Vice President)
• Ms. Aishath Shabana, FHS (Sub-Editor)
• Ms. Hawwa Nasiha, NL (Secretary)
• Ms. Badhurunisa Abdulla, NL (Assistant secretary)
• Ms. Thifla Umar, NL (Training Officer)
• ? (Public Relations Officer)
• ? (Treasurer)

1992

• Ms. Zulfa Mohamed, NL (President)
• ?

The first MLA Council, 1987

• Ms. Habeeba Hussain Habeeb, NL (President)
• Ms. Vaseema Mohamed (Vice President)
• Ms. Janet Fleming (Secretary)
• Ms. Zulfa Mohamed (Assistant Secretary)
• Mr Alastair MacLeod (Training Officer)
• Mr. Ibrahim Sabir (Public Relations Officer)

Founder members:

• Ms. Habeeba Hussain Habeeb
• Ms. Zulfa Mohamed

MLA Logo over the years