Qatar National Library (QNL) recently took part in Next Library 2013 – a global gathering of library innovators and decision makers exploring new ways in which libraries around the world can collaborate and innovate using technology and community engagement. QNL’s participation was the latest in an active year for the library which has taken a local, regional and international leadership role by hosting community events in Qatar, conducting regional workshops and forging high-level international partnerships.
Next Library brought hundreds of delegates from 40 nations to Arhaus, Denmark for two days of knowledge-sharing, working sessions and site visits around three core themes: Re-imagination, Civic Engagement and Collaborative Innovation. Discussion topics over the course of the conference included youth engagement, the role of design in library innovation, and literature performance.
At the conference, Qatar National Library’s Associate Director for Administration & Planning and an engineer by trade, Saadi A. Al-Said, took Next Library delegates on a virtual journey through QNL’s integrated concept and iconic new building as part of an interactive poster session on re-imagining the future of library buildings.
QNL’s presentation was met with excitement as delegates from around the world learned about QNL’s innovative concept integrating three core functions: the National Library, University and Research Library, and Metropolitan Public Library - each serving specific members of the community with a dedicated set of cutting-edge tools and technologies.
The virtual journey included an close look at QNL’s Heritage Collection, revealing for the first time in detail, plans to move the collection to a special site in the exact centre of the new library building. A careful and highly technical planning process for moving the prized contents of the Heritage Collection, an increasingly popular destination among researchers, students and educators in Qatar, is already underway.
Of QNL’s participation in Next Library 2013, Saadi A. Al-Said said, “Qatar National Library is more than a construction site – it is a highly active organisation that has undertaken ambitious digitations efforts, formed major global partnerships, and provides cutting edge resources for digital discovery. We are on the move in Qatar and around the world to share our vision and learn from our peers about how some of the most creative libraries in the world serve their communities. I shared a great deal about our work and learned a great deal more and remain confident that the new QNL will set the standard for the advanced modern library.”
QNL currently offers free online access to a vast collection of online resources, including the latest bestsellers, classical works, concerts, top academic journals and documentaries. A complete list of online resources currently available and can be found here:
http://www.qnl.qa/find-answers/online-resources
