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Teenage activist Malala Yousafzai is to open the Library of Birmingham tomorrow (3rd September).
Yousafzai, shot by the Taliban for supporting girls' education, will put the last book in place on the library's bookshelves (her own copy of Paolo Coelho's The Alchemist), before delivering a speech and unveiling a commemorative plaque.
The 16-year-old commented: "The content of a book holds the power of education and it is with this power that we can shape our future and change lives. There is no greater weapon than knowledge and no greater source of knowledge than the written word. It is my dream that one day, great buildings like this one will exist in every corner of the world so that every child can grow up with the opportunity to succeed.”
Culture minister Ed Vaizey and Brian Gambles, director of the Library of Birmingham, will also attend the opening ceremony for the building, which replaces Birmingham Central Library and is set to be the largest public library in Europe.