Dr Stuart
greetings from India
congratulations
Prof. N.LAXMAN RAO, NAGUBANDI
President, Telangana Library Association;Professor in Library and Information Science, Osmania University, Hyderabad ( super annuated)
UGC-Emeritus Fellow (2009-11);
Member, Library Advisory Committee, Dr BR Ambedkar University, Hyderabad; Program Advisory Committee for Kalanidhi ReferenceLibrary and Cultural Archives, IGNCA, NewDelhi; Member, Technical Advisory Panel, Indian Public library Movement, under the NASSCOM FOUNDATION; Funded by Bill Gates & Milinda Foundation;
formerly Director, UGC-Academic Staff College (2006-8);
formerly President, Association of British Scholars ( AP Chapter) and Indian Association of Teachers in Library and Information Science. mob:9110776049, 9246547599. orcid.org/0000-0001-6135-920X
On Wednesday, 8 November 2017, 18:14:50 GMT+5:30, Dr.Stuart James Hamilton wrote:
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[Apologies for any cross-posting]
Dear Colleagues
It is my pleasure to share with you that the new Qatar National Library opened its doors to the public yesterday! Many of you will be aware that the state-of-the-art building has planned since 2012, and that many IFLA colleagues, particularly Dr. Claudia Lux the former IFLA President, have played strong leadership roles in making the project a success. We opened yesterday at 9am and by the end of the day had added 1689 new users. At the same time we launched a new website (www.qnl.qa) and are bringing large numbers of programmes and services online for the local population. The IFLA Preservation and Conservation Centre housed in QNL is now also up and open! You can read more in the press release below.
Right now we’re in a soft opening period, stress testing our building and our procedures, and we will move towards the official inauguration and Grand Opening Ceremony on April 16th 2018. We’re fully open though, so if you are in the area do pop in and our Executive Director Sohair Wastawy and the rest of the staff will give you a warm welcome!
Kind regards,
Stuart
PS: You can see some video of the library and a couple of interviews here on Al Jazeera. Please excuse the enthusiastic EnglishmanJ http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/11/qatar-opens-state-of-the-art-noisy-lib...
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Dr. Stuart James Hamilton
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Deputy Executive Director - International Relations & Communications
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t. +974 4454 2544
e. shamilton@QNL.QA
w. www.qnl.qa
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Please consider the environment before printing this email
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Press Release:
QATAR NATIONAL LIBRARY BUILDING OPENS
Nation’s Landmark Library Opens to Public in Qatar Foundation’s Education City
Doha, Qatar, November 6, 2017: The new Qatar National Library (QNL) building in Education City will open its doors to the public for the first time on Tuesday, giving residents access to more than one million books, periodicals, and special collections, as well as the QNL Heritage Library.
Members can now check out books and other media from the main collection, access the Children’s and Teen’s Library, and begin using QNL’s creative and collaborative facilities, such as the Writing Center, Innovation Stations, and study rooms. The building is open to all members of the public, with free membership available to anyone with a Qatari ID.
“The opening of the QNL building is a landmark achievement for the cultural and education landscape in Qatar. QNL is a place where everybody can learn, collaborate, and create,” said Dr. Sohair F. Wastawy, Executive Director, QNL.
“With the Heritage Library at its heart and innovative technology throughout, the QNL building is truly a bridge between Qatar’s past and its future,” added Dr. Wastawy.
QNL has also launched its new website atwww.qnl.qa, allowing users to register for membership, search the library’s collection, reserve meeting and event spaces in the building, and access the dozens of online digital resources available to members. QNL will celebrate the building’s opening with a range of events, all of which are open to the public. The full schedule of events is available on the QNL website.
Designed by renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas, the building is fully accessible to visitors with special needs. It features numerous custom-designed innovations, including an automatic book sorting system, several interactive media walls, and self-check-in and check-out machines that make borrowing books easier for members.
The Heritage Library, located in the center of the QNL building, includes rare and valuable texts and manuscripts related to Arabic and Islamic civilization. In addition to Arabic manuscripts, historical maps and globes, scientific instruments and early photography, the Heritage Library also contains writings by travelers who explored the Arabian Gulf region over the centuries.
QNL also features a dedicated children’s section containing more than 100,000 books in Arabic, English, and a selection of other languages, featuring picture books, chapter books, information books, easy readers, magazines, DVDs, databases, audiobooks, e-books, and e-magazines. Additionally, the children’s section will offer early literacy programs and workshops for families to develop reading skills from an early age. The QNL Children’s Library also has educational toys, arts and crafts materials, and innovative learning software, as well as its own team of dedicated librarians.
“One of QNL’s top priorities is fostering a love of reading from a young age, and our Children’s Library offers parents a range of resources to put their children on a path of learning,” added Dr. Wastawy.
Meanwhile, the Teen Library, aimed at visitors aged 13 to 18, includes more than 30,000 books, as well as magazines, computer labs, graphic novels, interactive learning tools, and a specially-tailored events space. It also includes school curriculum and college textbooks for students preparing for exams, including the ACT and SAT.
Visitors can utilize individual and group study spaces, computer labs, a writing center, and Innovation Stations offering a wide variety of creative tools, such as 3D printers and musical instruments. A full range of exhibitions and services will be launched at the official inauguration ceremony in 2018.
QNL is a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF). Five years in the planning, the facility was announced in 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of QF.
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Qatar National Library:
Qatar National Library (QNL), a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, acts as a steward of Qatar’s national heritage by collecting, preserving and making available the country’s recorded history. In its role as a research Library with a preeminent heritage collection, QNL fosters and promotes greater global insight into the history and culture of the Gulf region. As a public Library, QNL provides equal access for all Qatari residents to an environment that supports creativity, independent decision-making and cultural development. Through all its functions, QNL provides leadership to the country’s Library and cultural heritage sector.
QNL also supports Qatar’s transition from a reliance on natural resources to become a diversified and sustainable economy by providing support to students, researchers, and the public to promote life-long learning and empower individuals and communities for a better future. The QNL project was announced on 19 November 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation.
Website: www.qnl.qa
Twitter: @QNLib
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheQatarNationalLibrary
Qatar National Library’s Media Contact:
Gihan M. Baraka
Communications Manager
Telephone: +974 4454 6034
Email: gbaraka@qf.org.qa
Menna Nayel
Media Relations Manager
Cell Phone: +974 33531316
Email: mennah@bljworldwide.com
Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential
Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, science and research, and community development.
QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.
QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.
For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, visithttp://www.qf.org.qa
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