Metropolitan Libraries Conference opens

Delegates from various countries are attending the 48th Metropolitan Libraries (MetLib) Conference, which opened at the Qatar National Convention Centre yesterday.
Hosted by Qatar National Library (QNL), the annual event themed as “Pearls In The Desert: Unleashing Potential” is taking place in the Middle East and North Africa (Mena) region for the first time. The six-day conference will conclude on April 28.
“MetLib 2016 Qatar presents an extraordinary opportunity for the region’s information service industry and its progress towards nurturing innovation and creativity,” QNL project director Dr Claudia Lux said.
The conference serves as an important platform for public and metropolitan libraries from around the world to exchange ideas, share knowledge and address key challenges facing the industry today, he added.
QNL is a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF). The opening ceremony was attended by QF’s Community Development president Fahad al-Qahtani, Kuwait National Library general manager Kamel al-Abdul Jalil, Bahrain National Library’s Isa Cultural Centre director Dr Mansoor Sarhan, and professor Rem Koolhaas, a world-renowned architect and the designer of QNL’s iconic building.
MetLib 2016 Qatar aims to explore vital topics related to librarianship through a series of presentations and discussions, QF noted in a press statement.
Areas of focus include furthering innovation in library services, enhancing community learning, developing the future through children and teen services, and the importance of building partnerships for the continued development of the information services sector.
The conference features 17 expert presentations by seasoned library and information services professionals from Qatar, Europe, the US, and Asia.
In addition to numerous sessions and presentations, delegates will visit local libraries and various institutions to learn more about the progress that Qatar’s information services sector had achieved.
Attendees will also visit iconic cultural and heritage destinations including Al Zubarah, the Museum of Islamic Art, Souq Waqif and Al Khor Dhow Harbour.
“MetLib 2016 Qatar is fully aligned with the nation’s commitment to develop a state-of-the-art library sector that offers innovative services to the local population,” QNL’s administration and planning director Saadi al-Said said.
“For the first time in the history of MetLib, we are honoured to welcome colleagues and representatives from libraries in the Gulf region, namely from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain
and Kuwait,” al-Said added.
Senior representatives from the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), which represents the global voice of the library and information services professions, are also attending the conference.
IFLA’s Metropolitan Libraries Section Standing Committee chair Corrado Di Tillo said QNL has demonstrated an exceptional delivery of information services and it is on its way to becoming a knowledge hub in Qatar and the region.
“In the conference’s 48 year history, this is the first time that it is being hosted in the Mena region where cultural heritage and astonishing futuristic innovation co-exist,” he added.