Qatar National Library is set to host an exciting lineup of activities and learning opportunities for all during March, which coincides with the start of the holy month of Ramadan.
Two significant events are scheduled to take place at the Library next month. On 19-20 March, the Library will host Libraries Lead: The QNL Annual Forum for Library Professionals. Speakers from libraries, museums, and cultural centers from around the world will share their cultural diplomacy initiatives. The topics will include repatriating cultural heritage items, and facilitating cultural exchanges in the arts, sports, literature, music, science, business, and more. Additionally, they will explore creating cultural programs to improve relations between divergent groups and exchanging ideas, values, and traditions to strengthen relationships and promote cooperation locally or internationally.
The Library will also host the Mommy-To-Be Festival from 15 -18 March, for mothers and fathers to exchange experiences, learn from others, and celebrate the journey of parenthood. The festival will feature a variety of engaging activities and resources to help expecting and new parents prepare for the joys and challenges of parenthood. To celebrate Ramadan, the Library invites visitors to a lecture with Abd Al Salam Al Majidi, Professor of Interpretation and Readings, on 18 March. Professor Al Majidi will offer advice and discuss how to prepare for the month of Ramadan by reciting the glorious book of Allah, contemplating its verses, and striving to live up to its values and teachings.
Then, on 22 March when Ramadan is expected to be announced, the Library invites children to enjoy “Ramadan Storytime”. Held in collaboration with Dar Ktateeb, children can listen on our Instagram account to a narration of the most beautiful stories every Monday and Wednesday throughout the Holy Month. The next day, on 23 March, children and young adults can participate in the Library’s online Ramadan competition. Questions will be posted weekly, and winners will be announced at the end of Ramadan. More Ramadan-themed events are planned in April. In addition to these events, the Library invites those interested in research and literacy activities to attend a three-day intensive, hands-on workshop. The workshop aims to develop a new narrative for the region with a focus on the area's historical legacy as an important part of an ancient trade route. The workshop will be held in two parts, with the first taking place from 5-7 March, and the second in September.
On 6 March, visitors can meet Terry Booth, the author of Qatar: Bite by Bite, a food lovers' guide to eating out in Qatar. Terry will share his journey from writing a food blog, to finding an editor and finally publishing in Qatar.
On 7 March, the Library will host a lecture focusing on official street signs in Qatar written using non-standard Arabic spellings. The documentary film Mal Lawwal will explore the complex interplay of language, dialect, script, and issues of identity and migration. Speakers from Qatar University, including Dr. Rizwan Ahmad, Associate Professor of Linguistics and the owner of the documentary, Dr. Shaikha Al-Kuwari, Assistant Professor of Anthropology, and Afra Al-Khulaifi, Teaching Assistant of Linguistics, will give their insights.
On 12 March, the Library invites visitors to the "Our Children Matter" lecture series, where they can learn about auditory and visual perception and how it affects reading and writing for children with learning difficulties. Participants will also be given tips and ideas on promoting their children's visual and auditory perceptions.
In cooperation with the College of Islamic Studies at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, the Library is hosting an event on 15 March to showcase a new book by Dr. Akel Ismail Kahera, Professor of Islamic Architecture and Urbanism. Dr. Akel will speak briefly about his book and discuss its main concepts.
The next day, on 16 March, Qatar National Library will hear Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra perform "Electro Maqam", where Arabic music magic meets the electronic world.
Finally, March is the last month in which visitors can see the Library’s Baya exhibition. Held in celebration of Qatar-MENASA Year of Culture 2022 and in partnership with Mathaf: Arab Museum of Modern Art, the exhibition provides a window into the life and work of the Algerian artist, Baya Mahieddine. A selection of 18 works are showcased that are intertwined with Baya’s lifelong themes to reveal the fictional and nonfictional elements that continued to resonate throughout Baya’s work until the very end. The exhibition is open till 30 March. For a complete list of QNL events, please visit the Events page on the Library’s website (www.qnl.qa/en/events) or the QNL mobile app which is free and available for download globally on iOS devices from the App Store and for Android from Google Play.
