QNL kicks off summer with exciting lineup of events

Qatar National Library will start the summer season with a range of events and activities that provide learning and development opportunities for children and young adults and explore historical and scientific subjects. The Library will also be hosting several in-person events and workshops to cater to the community. On 14 May, young adults can join a session presented by volunteer, Jassem Al Ashar, where they will learn about volunteer work and the most important traits that volunteers should possess, in addition to how to find institutions that need volunteers. In celebration of the International Day of Light, the Library will host a lecture on 16 May to discuss publications by important Arab scholars on Arab contributions to developing humanity's knowledge of optics. In celebration of the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, the Library will host an event on 19 May to celebrate the richness of the worlds cultures and the essential role of cultural diversity in achieving peace and sustainable development. On 21 May, young adults can participate in a workshop that will introduce them to the basics of data science, with live demonstrations of the applications of these technologies. The session will be led by John Laurence Zabanal, a professional data scientist who has been involved in creating various projects related to data science. The Library will host the first annual forum for Library professionals titled, "Libraries Lead," with the theme, "Libraries as Catalysts for Achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals." A pre-forum workshop will be held on 22 May, where participants will learn about community-library inter-action (CLIA), a mindful practice for libraries to facilitate dialogue and action for the community that leads to social transformation. The CLIA workshop will introduce a process that empowers libraries to lead by engaging with the community. On 23 24 May, the Library will host the "Libraries Lead" two-day forum that will focus on library programs, services, collaborations and initiatives that drive progress for the UNs Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda. The forum will be a venue where libraries and institutions share their efforts to advocate for or support any of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. On 23 May, the Library will host a lecture on "Western Travelogues to Mecca." The Heritage Library houses a significant number of Western travelers' books on the Middle East and North African region, and an interesting and notable collection of rare books on Western travelers to the holy city of Mecca during the 17th -19th century. As the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA)s Regional Preservation and Conservation Centre for the Arab region and in cooperation with the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon, the Library will be presenting a series of four webinars that highlight the collection care procedures, conservation practices and preservation activities adopted and applied by the USEK Library. The first session, held on 23 May, will discuss the basic care principles and practices of paper and leather-based collections. On 24 May, there will be a session to introduce the history and technique of papermaking and the different factors and causes of deterioration from the environment to handling. On 25 May, participants can attend a session to explore the case study of the care basics applied at the USEK Library: daily care routine, preservation strategy, procedures, and practices, followed by a final session on 26 May, to provide a guide for the best conservation of materials and an exploration of best practices of preservation. On 25 May, the Library continues its "Manuscript Studies Lecture Series," with a session that provides a historical overview of the collections of libraries and museums in Turkey. Discussing the value of these collections as one of the largest repositories of Islamic manuscripts in both quantity and quality, the lecture, given by Dr. Ramazan ?e?en, will share professional experiences of the challenges and possibilities his work offers. In addition, the author of "The Cat I Never Named," Dr. Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, will be at the Library on the same day to talk about her book, the stunning memoir of a Muslim teen struggling to survive amid the Bosnian genocide and the stray cat who protected her family through it all. On 26 May, the Library will host an online book discussion for the visually impaired. The session will discuss the audiobook, "Hayy Ibn Yaqzan," which tells the story of a person who grew up on an island alone and will examine his relationship to the universe and religion. The Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra will be performing at the Library "Unravel," a unique project that combines music and visual art on 26 May. Created and executed by Mariya Medvedeva, the project represents the effects of music on perception and the artist's inner imagination visualized onto canvas.