National Library to participate in exhibition

Qatar National Library (QNL), which recently opened to the public in Qatar Foundation’s Education City, has announced that it will participate in the 28th Doha International Book Fair from November 29 to December 5 at the Doha Exhibition and Convention Centre. QNL’s booth at the book fair will feature a number of services for visitors, including Access Services Stations to register users with Qatari IDs on the spot, QNL has said in a press statement. QNL members can “benefit from the library’s diversified online databases, accessible anywhere in the world, and can use the library’s various information resources and services at its new building, including automatically checking out printed books”, the statement notes.Visitors to the QNL booth can also sample a number of resources available to QNL members, including Overdrive, which allows users to borrow books via their mobile phones, a 3D printing machine and a green screen for taking photographs with Qatar-themed backgrounds. QNL staff will be available on-hand to provide orientation on QNL’s catalogue and database.“Qatar National Library’s mission is to promote a culture of learning and creativity, and the Doha International Book Fair has long been a key driver of those goals in Qatar. We look forward to welcoming Qatar’s readers to our booth at the book fair, as well as to our new building,” said Dr Sohair F Wastawy, executive director, QNL.  Families can enjoy creative storytelling sessions at QNL’s booth, and the space will include a sample of the 100,000-plus books and educational resources available at QNL’s Children’s Library. The booth will also feature items from QNL’s Heritage Library, which includes many rare and valuable books, manuscripts, maps and other artefacts on Arabic and Islamic history and culture. Visitors can view a demonstration of QNL’s preservation, conservation and digitisation processes, which are helping protect the Heritage Library’s items for future generations.QNL’s new building, designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, opened to the public on November 7 and has already welcomed thousands of visitors. More information about QNL, including a full schedule of upcoming events and workshops, can be found at www.qnl.qa