Qatar National Library: 296,456 Books Checked Out in 2022

A record number of books were checked out at Qatar National Library (QNL) in 2022. It demonstrated that the country's population, particularly its children and women, still has a strong reading culture.

In 2022, library users took out 296,456 books. 167,580 of the total come from the collection of children's books.

According to the library's most recent newsletter, "this year witnessed a return to normalcy for the library, and with the building once again completely open to the public, our members raced to borrow books."

When compared to the 183,143 books checked out in 2021, the total number of books checked out this year has increased by 113,313.

52,408 young adult books and 76,468 books from the main collection were checked out this year.

The top three children's books in English were Big Nate: Genius Mode, Captain Underpants and the Tyrannical Retaliation of the Turbo Toilet 2000, and Tremenda Vacanza a Villa Pitocca (the Italian translation of the Geronimo Stilton classic Welcome to Moldy Manor).

Books like Kalimat w Sowar (Pictures and Words), Kesas Rawaha Anabi Sallalaihualaihi Wasallam (Stories Told by the Prophet, Peace Be Upon Him), and Ahib Al Estahmam were the most widely read in Arabic (I Like to Take a Shower).

Since 18,913 women and 15,316 men borrowed books among adults, it appears that women read more than men do.

The Library noted that a guy, with 201 books borrowed, was the most active reader, while a woman came in first with 184.

Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr, El Alquimista, the Spanish translation of Paulo Coelho's The Alchemist, and Hercule Poirot "whodunnit" were the top five English fiction books among adults. Agatha Christie's The A.B.C. Murders and Madeline Miller's The Song of Achilles are two examples.

Many readers favored self-improvement books in the English non-fiction category.

Among the top three books in this area is The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg, IELTS by Monica Sorrenson, and Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.

Anyone can access more than a million books, magazines, newspapers, and periodicals - for both adults and children - in 16 different languages, with a free membership to QNL.

A new citizen of Qatar named Steven described it as "a very inviting environment with a vast number of books in whatever subject you seek for."

"The library was one of the first places I visited in Qatar," said Steven, who is more interested in theological and economic books. And Rifka, a permanent resident who often takes her children to the library, said: "I take my two daughters to the library at least once a month, they enjoy reading more than at home."

Qatar National Library was a major attraction not only for residents but also for visitors during the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar.

Hind Al Khulaifi, Director of Strategy and Strategic Projects at QNL, recently said that the library "welcomed the world" during the tournament. "It's wonderful to see the look fans have when they walk through our door and the joy they feel when we tell them we have the books they're looking for," said Al Khulaifi.