In line with its mission to preserve and promote the region’s heritage and facilitate access to information, Qatar National Library (QNL), in collaboration with the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, hosted a two-day forum to discuss the digitization of traditional archives across Arab countries.
Titled, ‘The Third Forum on Heritage Management: Digital Access and Artificial Intelligence Applications’, the conference explored the various models of digital repositories for documentary heritage and efforts to enhance digital information management for the improved usability and searchability of archives.
The forum brought together local and regional experts, industry leaders, and academia working within the realm of heritage and rare resources across ministries, governmental institutions, and private organizations.
Serving as an essential platform for knowledge exchange and networking, the conference delved into the pivotal role of digital technology in enhancing archive management and accessibility as well as the importance of building a collaborative community to support the digitization of documentary heritage.
Delegates gained insights into diverse topics such as the implications of digital transformation for traditional archives in the future, and models of digital repositories with heritage resources in various libraries, cultural and heritage organizations. Discussions also touched on risks, response mechanisms, and solutions associated with challenges posed by the digital era to heritage.
Tan Huism, Executive Director at Qatar National Library said: "Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies have opened up a wealth of opportunities for enhanced accessibility and preservation of documentary heritage. However, the limited understanding of the safe and effective use of digital practices in heritage management remains an area of concern, an issue found globally but particularly in the region. This consideration was at the heart of the forum’s program, building on Qatar National Library’s commitment to strengthening capabilities in management and preservation of digital collections, both nationally and regionally."
His Excellency Dr. Nasser Al-Hatlan Al-Qahtani, Director General of the Arab Organization for Administrative Development, expressed his gratitude to QNL for hosting this year's edition of the forum, noting that the event “provided a platform to explore the contribution of digitization to advancing research across the region by providing access to a wealth of historical resources”.
“The forum explored the reality of digital heritage in libraries and cultural institutions across the region and provided insights into future endeavors to promote digitization in Arab countries,” Dr. Al-Qahtani explained.
Maryam Al Mutawa, Head of Collection Access - QNL Distinctive Collections, said that “digital technology is increasingly becoming essential to the sustainable management and accessibility of heritage resources, radically shaping our journey into the future.”
“For custodians of heritage and conservation specialists,” she said, “it has become a necessity to embrace forward-looking approaches and methodologies that can significantly widen access to knowledge for our future generations and fortify the link to their cultural and historic past. Qatar National Library was thrilled to have taken another stride forward in educating the community about innovative ways to protect our region’s heritage as well as encouraging cooperation in this area.”
Since its inception, QNL has been dedicated to preserving and documenting the region’s history, with its Heritage Library housing more than 232,350 archival and historical items. To prevent the decay and aging of these materials, the Library’s digitization department has so far processed nearly 15.5 million pages including books, archival materials, maps, manuscripts, photographs, newspapers, and video files, all of which have been made accessible to the global public through QNL’s digital repository.
