Lily Amir-Arjomand
Lily Amir-Arjomand | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lily Jahan-Ara 1938 Iran |
| Occupation(s) | Librarian, cultural leader |
| Known for | Founding Iran’s public library network for children; former head of the Iranian Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults |
Lily Amir-Arjomand (originally born as Lily Jahan-Ara in 1938) is recognized as a former head of the Iranian Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults and is credited with founding Iran’s public library network dedicated to children. During her administration, the Institute successfully launched approximately 300 libraries and cultural hubs across the country.
Biography
Amir-Arjomand entered the world in 1938 and attended Razi High School in Tehran, where she was a classmate of Farah Diba, who later became Iran’s queen. She completed her undergraduate studies in French at University of Tehran and pursued a Master of Library and Information Science at Rutgers University, studying under Mary Virginia Gaver. Upon returning to Iran, she married Hossein Ali Amir-Arjomand.
She suggested establishing a children’s library to Queen Farah, who then allocated land for this initiative. By the late 1960s, Amir-Arjomand was leading the Organization for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults. Her leadership period was marked by the creation of hundreds of libraries, mobile book distribution services, and a publishing arm dedicated to Persian children’s literature. She played a pivotal role in supporting the publication of Behrangi’s The Little Black Fish. In recognition of her contributions, Amir-Arjomand was honored with the 2023 Farhang Heritage Award and was also recognized by Sight and Sound as one of the 100 Hidden Heroes of Cinema due to her influence on New Iranian Cinema.
Following the 1979 Iranian Revolution, she relocated to the United States and obtained American citizenship. In 1989, she began working with Saks Fifth Avenue and later transitioned in 2004 to Dubai as general merchandise manager for Style Avenue Middle East, which operates as Saks Fifth Avenue’s licensed partner.