QNA/Doha
Qatar National Library (QNL), a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF), recently participated in the 81st IFLA World Library and Information Congress in South Africa, to showcase Qatar’s array of state-of-the-art information services.
Hosted at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC), the Congress is a flagship professional and trade event for the library and information services sector. It is organised by the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), which represents the global voice of the library and information profession.
The library was also recognised as the Regional Arabic Speaking Preservation and Conservation Centre (PAC) at the Congress. The QNL-PAC regional centre will utilise state-of-the-art technologies at its laboratories aimed at preserving precious heritage and culture archive materials available in Qatar and the wider region. Through this announcement, QNL will represent the 25 Arabic speaking countries in the Middle East and North Africa.
Through its participation at this international event, QNL supports Qatar Foundation’s commitment to protecting and preserving Qatar and the region’s heritage and culture, making these accessible for future generations.
Commenting on QNL’s participation at the Congress, Dr Claudia Lux, QNL’s Project Director, said: “The IFLA World Library and Information Congress provides our team with a unique opportunity to network with thousands of seasoned experts from the global information services industry. Members of our team exchanged ideas with experts from other countries and took part in numerous professional development sessions.”
Eng. Saadi al-Said, QNL’s Associate Director, Administration and Planning, said: “Our presentation on QDL was welcomed by the participants and visitors at the exhibition. QDL is at the forefront of Qatar and the region’s digital revolution.” Al-Said added: “QNL is collaborating with other stakeholders in Qatar and the region to preserve rare historical materials about the wider region. QNL’s announcement as the regional PAC centre will enable the library to reach out to the wider region and greatly assist in preserving precious historical resources available in the various libraries.”
Commenting on her experience at the Congress, Abeer al-Kuwari, in charge of QNL’s Branches Affairs, said: “IFLA is one of the world’s leading specialised libraries and information service conferences where I had the opportunity to meet seasoned practitioners from across the globe and hear their experiences.”
