QNL Has Influential Global Role In Knowledge Field

QNA Doha Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari has affirmed that despite its establishment a short ...

QNADohaMinister of State and President of Qatar National Library HE Dr Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kuwari has affirmed that despite its establishment a short time ago, the library has an influential global role in the field of knowledge.In exclusive statement to Qatar News Agency (QNA) on the sidelines of the annual forum “Libraries Lead”, which concluded on Tuesday, HE Al Kuwari said that Qatar National Library (QNL) has a great global impact by making knowledge available at home and abroad. Today’s sources of knowledge are no longer linked to direct access to libraries only, as the digital revolution and information technology played an important role in making information available to all, he said, stressing that Qatar Library was at the forefront in this regard.QNL made information and knowledge available to researchers digitally, he said, pointing out that the National Library was born giant, and from the first moment of its opening it took the lead within the library sector locally and regionally in the dissemination of knowledge and preservation of heritage, and in making information accessible to all.The library has signed several international partnerships with national libraries and archival institutions to serve knowledge and make its cultural and heritage content available to peoples in Qatar and the Gulf, HE said, underlying that these partnerships have enhanced the ability of researchers, scholars and other interested persons from all over the world to access digital resources on history, heritage and culture in the State of Qatar and the Gulf region. The library’s documents also are not limited to the Arabic language, as there are documents in English, he added.The most prominent of these partnerships was the cooperation with the British Library in digitizing QNL’s contents of documents and photos closely related to the history of Qatar and the Gulf.One of the most prominent fruits of this partnership was the launch of Qatar Digital Library in October 2014 before the official opening of the library, to be the world’s largest digital archive in the history of the Middle East, Al Kuwari said.He pointed out that nearly two million documents are available to everyone around the world free of charge, noting that this helps with the completion of researches on the history of the Arab region by foreign researchers, including those who contacted QNL to confirm the reliance of their sources on the documents provided by the Library.Memoranda of Understanding were also signed with a number of Arab, Islamic and Central Asian libraries, such as the National Library of Turkey, Turkish Presidential Library, Ottoman Archives, Azerbaijan National Library, National Library of China and Russian Boris Yeltsin Presidential Library, in addition to QNL’s existing cooperation with the Royal Library of the Netherlands, National Archives of the Netherlands, National Library of France and New York University, HE Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, emphasizing that all of these were done in order to promote the digitization of documents and manuscripts about Qatar, the region and the Arab and Islamic world and the exchange of knowledge sources. Regarding news on the library’s latest partnerships, Al Kuwari said in the coming period, the library will be heading towards Central Asia, considering the historical ties and relations between Qatar and this region, noting that the availability of the library’s documents is important for researcher.When the friends at the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan visited the Heritage Library and had a celebration marking the 880th anniversary of the birth of the Azerbaijani poet and thinker ‘Nizami Ganjavi’, they found rare manuscripts of this poet in QNL that they do not possess, Dr. Al Kuwari added, explaining that the library seeks to develop relations with the Central Asian countries as a whole, given their geographical location and possession of documents related to Arab civilization. HE pointed out that there are plans of meetings and visits to libraries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Republic of Turkey, which will take place soon.He added that QNL is a major tool of Qatar’s cultural diplomacy, pointing out that the Libraries Lead Forum is just the beginning to advance the library’s goals.In its first edition, the forum restored the active attendance of the library’s cultural and creative activities, which the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) did not put an end to, as the library presented many events and activities virtually - making a positive impact on researchers and followers at the level of the region and the globe.On QNL’s role in promoting a knowledge-based economy, Dr. Al Kuwari said that without the provision of information, development goals cannot be achieved, whether in the economic, social, educational or other aspects, pointing out QNL’s major role in providing information, thanks to its exceptional tools that are inaccessible elsewhere, and the library’s similarity to a training center in creative activities.He affirmed that there will be no sustainable development without taking care of future makers, which is why the library has given great care and attention to children and young people, allocating hundreds of thousands of books and references, and dozens of electronic resources to them, and organizing many events that address their interests, develop their passion for reading and learning, fuel their curiosity, and arouse their interest in science and technology and its tools.Through the library, they can access economic opportunities, quality education and self-development, improve their health and advance their communities, which is what makes libraries an essential partner of the UN in achieving the sustainable development goals, he added.In regard to the global presence of Qatar National Library and its cooperation with the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), HE President of QNL explained that the library plays a major role in the Federation, noting the continuous cooperation between the two sides since it was chosen by IFLA to be the approved regional center for preserving and protecting heritage materials in the Arab world.