Qatar National Library's Summer Activities

To serve the community, the library will organize a number of in-person activities and seminars.

On May 14, young adults can attend a session led by volunteer Jassem Al Ashar in which they will learn about volunteer work and the most important attributes to look for in volunteers, as well as how to locate organizations that need volunteers.

The library will host a lecture on May 16 to commemorate the International Day of Light, which will focus on publications by prominent Arab researchers on Arab contributions to the advancement of humanity's knowledge of optics.

On May 19, the library will host a celebration of the richness of the world's cultures and the critical role of cultural variety in attaining peace and sustainable development in honor of World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.

On May 21, young adults can attend a program that will expose them to the fundamentals of data science and include live demonstrations of how these technologies are used.

The workshop will be proposed by John Laurence Zabanal, a professional data scientist who has worked on a variety of data science initiatives.

The library will host the first annual "Libraries Lead" conference for library professionals, with the theme "Libraries as Catalysts for Achieving UN Sustainable Development Goals."

Participants will learn about Community-Library Inter-Activity (CLIA), a mindful practice for libraries to support discussion and debate for the community that leads to social transformation, at a pre-forum workshop on May 22.

The CLIA workshop will provide a process that allows libraries to take the lead by interacting with the public. The library will hold the "Libraries Lead" two-day symposium on May 23 and 24, which will focus on library programs, services, collaborations, and initiatives that help the UN's Sustainable Development Goals 2030 Agenda move forward.

The library will host a talk on "Western Travelogues to Mecca" on May 23. The Heritage Library has a large collection of Western travelers' books about the Middle East and North Africa, as well as a unique and noteworthy collection of rare publications on Western pilgrims to Mecca during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The library will present a series of four tutorials that highlight the collection care procedures, conservation practices, and preservation activities adopted and applied by the USEK Library as the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) Regional Preservation and Conservation Centre for the Arab region, in collaboration with the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), Lebanon.

On May 25, participants can attend a session to learn about the care basics used at the USEK Library, including daily care routines, protection strategy, procedures, and methods, followed by a final session on May 26 to provide a guide for best materials conservation and an exploration of preservation best practices.

The library's "Manuscript Studies Lecture Series" begins on May 25 with a session that presents a historical overview of Turkey's library and museum holdings.

The talk, conducted by Dr. Ramazan Şeşen, will discuss the importance of these collections as one of the largest archives of Islamic manuscripts in terms of both quantity and value and will share professional experiences of the challenges and opportunities his job provides.

 Amra Sabic-El-Rayess, the author of "The Cat I Never Named," will also be at the library on the same day to discuss her book, which is a beautiful memoir about a Muslim youngster battling to survive among the Bosnian massacre and the stray cat who defended her family throughout it all.

The library will offer an online book discussion for visually impaired people on May 26. The session will focus on Hayy Ibn Yaqzan, an audiobook that tells the story of a man who grew up alone on an island and examines his relationship with the universe and religion.

Participants are reminded to follow the latest COVID-19 guidelines set by the Ministry of Public Health in order to ensure the well-being and safety of our community as the library prepares to host several in-person events.