The physical libraries of Najaf have burned before. The Mongol hordes threw Shia manuscripts into the Tigris, turning the river black with ink. The digital library is the defiance of that erasure.
We are currently witnessing the transition from "libraries" to "interactive hubs." shia online library
PDF Books Library, alfeker.net. Shia Online Library, Resources for the Study of Manuscripts Produced in the Islamic World Project MUSE Commentaries on Hadith Raʾs al-Jalut - KITAB The physical libraries of Najaf have burned before