Qatar National Library (QNL) held its first board of trustees meeting at the Arab and Islamic Heritage Collection building.
This was in keeping with the directives of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, chairperson of Qatar Foundation (QF) for Education, Science and Community Development, to establish QNL as a member of QF based on Decision No. 19 of 2013 and to appoint a board of trustees for it.  
During the meeting, the board discussed the national library’s strategic and business plans in addition to reviewing its collection development strategy, which has been set up to meet the needs and interests of a diverse audience. Also on the agenda was an overview of the construction phases of the new library, which plans to open in 2015.
The QNL board comprises six members and is led by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed al-Thani, chairperson of the board of trustees and cultural adviser of QF. The board also consists of Abdulla al-Ansari, director of public libraries; Soud Abdulaziz al-Tamimi, vice-president (operations) at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, QF education division; Ellen Tise, senior director of library and information services at Stellenbosch University in South Africa; a representative of Qatar Museums Authority; a representative of Katara – the Cultural Village; and Dr Claudia Lux, project director of QNL.
In attendance were Dr Abdullah al-Sulaiti, deputy director for research and collections at National Museum of Qatar; Dr Nadia al-Mudahka, director of research and studies in Katara; Dr Abdel Rahman Azzam, communications adviser of the Office of HH Sheikha Moza bint Nasser; and Saadi A al-Said, associate director of administration and planning at QNL.
“As Qatar National Library continues to grow and develop, it is a huge benefit to be able to receive guidance from a board formed of such experienced cultural and information industry leaders,” said Dr Lux. “QNL’s board of trustees, with its invaluable insight and expertise, and led by Sheikh Hassan bin Mohamed al-Thani, will have a tremendous impact on achieving the national library’s strategic objectives and help establish QNL as an outstanding example among global libraries.”
During the first board meeting, Dr Lux presented an overview of the vast collection of online resources that QNL is currently providing for free to the entire State of Qatar.
Registration is available for the public through the library’s website, www.qnl.qa