As the summer heat settles in, Qatar National Library has curated an appealing range of activities to keep everyone engaged this July. Reading challenges, thought-provoking lectures and interactive workshops will encourage enrichment and reflection among all members, with special activities appealing to children and young adults.
In collaboration with Little Thinking Minds, the Children’s Library is presenting the “Summer Reading Challenge” from 1 July to 20 August. Engaging activities will help parents combat the notorious ‘summer slide’ in their children’s reading skills, with special prizes for participants who complete the challenge. Library members can log in to the website and use the children’s online resources to access the “I Read Arabic” platform. After completing the tasks for their assigned age group, participants will be asked to submit a video recording. For more information, please visit the QNL Events page.
Aiming to provide tips and advice to encourage sound academic habits, the Library is launching a series of seminars beginning with “Parenting a Superstar Student”, on 11 July. Topics will cover human psychology, neurolinguistic programming, physiology, smart ways to study, how to construct an essay, and how to improve your memory.
On 12 July, the fourth Community Read book discussion will be hosted about the acclaimed novel Baghdad Clock, which was shortlisted for the 2018 International Prize for Arabic Fiction. Arabic copies are available to borrow from the User Services Desk while the English version can be accessed through the Overdrive database or the Library’s app.
The Library’s popular Summer Camp for children and young adults kicks off on 16 July with a host of interesting activities throughout the summer break. “World Discovery Summer Camp” by KidZania on 16 July will introduce youngsters to the different languages, cultural dances, traditional food, and costumes of Indonesia. The event will be repeated every day until 20 July.
Creative Summer Camp activities continue into August. Highlights include “Hand Embroidery” on 1 August, a fun way to learn the fundamentals of one of the oldest handmade crafts. “Coloring with Colored Sand” on 21 August will be an opportunity to create beautiful gradient pieces of art using colored sand, which is a great chance for children to explore their creativity in a fun atmosphere. Other workshops include “Jewellery Making” on 22 August and “Little Weavers” on 23 August.
With much to engage everyone in the community, “Power of the Book: A Tale of Two Young Men”, on 23 July, will highlight the impact of reading and the power of words in the lives of two young Arab men. Participants in this workshop will learn how to choose the best books to develop their skills and also how to use the Library’s wide collection of resources to achieve this goal.
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 to download from the App Store or from Google Play
