Latest news with #TanHuism
Qatar Tribune
21-05-2025
- General
- Qatar Tribune
QNL unveils IFLA regional office annual report 2024
QNA Doha Qatar National Library (QNL) has released the 2024 Annual Report of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Middle East and North Africa (IFLA) Regional Office. The report outlines a landmark year of growth, collaboration and impact in advancing library services, professional development, and knowledge exchange across the MENA region. QNL was officially appointed as host of the IFLA MENA Regional Office during the 2023 IFLA World Library and Information Congress. The official signing ceremony, held in December 2024 at QNL, featured a series of capacity-building workshops, reinforcing the Library's role in advancing regional and global cooperation. The Annual Report highlights numerous other milestones during the Office's inaugural year. These include the launch of the Librarians for Libraries training programme, which attracted 1,259 registrants from 31 countries. The programme featured 16 specialised workshops delivered by expert trainers from countries including Oman, Syria, Egypt, Afghanistan, Palestine, and Qatar. The sessions fostered knowledge exchange and supported professional growth across the region. Another notable achievement is QNL's leadership in updating Qatar's data for the IFLA Library Map of the World, a global initiative that visualizes the presence and impact of libraries worldwide. Since September 2024, QNL has coordinated a national effort involving 400 libraries, achieving a response rate of 80.7 percent with participation from government and private school libraries, academic institutions as well as special and public libraries. The report also highlights the Library's impactful capacity-building initiatives such as the Emerging Librarians Programme, a training hosted at QNL for students from Sultan Qaboos University in Oman. The programme, blending theoretical instruction with practical application, provided participants with exposure to key departments, including Heritage, Digitization, and Conservation, as well as curated cultural site visits. The initiative gained international recognition, with the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals inviting QNL to share its experience in an article featured by the institute's ILIG Focus publication. Tan Huism, executive director of QNL, said these initiatives reflect the growing role of libraries in supporting communities in a multitude of ways, whether life-long learning, access to knowledge and creative and cultural events and community building. As host of the IFLA MENA Regional Office, QNL remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting regional cooperation to support knowledge exchange, cultural preservation, and innovation across the region. Eiman AlShamari, acting manager of the national collection at QNL and the manager of the IFLA Middle East and North Africa Regional Office, said: ''This year has demonstrated the potential of coordinated regional efforts in fostering a vibrant community of librarians that share the same values.'' Building on last year's success, QNL plans to expand its training offerings, launch new collaborative initiatives across the MENA region, and establish regular strategic dialogue with the IFLA to align global priorities with regional needs to support the development of library services across the Arab world.
Zawya
23-04-2025
- Politics
- Zawya
Qatar National Library and the Bibliothèque Nationale de France sign new Memorandum of Understanding
Doha — In the presence of His Excellency Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, and Her Excellency Rachida Dati, French Minister of Culture, Qatar National Library (QNL) and the Bibliothèque nationale de France (BnF) signed a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) to foster collaboration in digitization, preservation and scholarly research, with a focus on Islamic heritage and the history of the Gulf region. The MoU builds on the long-standing cultural ties between Qatar and France, which have gained momentum in recent years. Signed by Philippe Lonné, Director General of the BnF, and Tan Huism, Executive Director of QNL, the MoU reaffirms both institutions' commitment to knowledge exchange and mutual cultural understanding. It marks the continuation of a fruitful partnership between QNL and several French cultural entities. Commenting on the occasion, His Excellency Dr. Hamad Bin Abdulaziz Al-Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, said: "France has always been a valuable partner in supporting Qatar National Library's cultural and academic initiatives. This MoU is the culmination of years of meaningful collaboration and reflects the deep-rooted historical and cultural ties between Qatar and France. Our past partnerships have included joint exhibitions, lectures and seminars with the French Embassy, as well as an MoU with the French Diplomatic Archives. Two years ago, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two nations, and today we are entering a new, broader phase of cooperation—one that furthers our mission of heritage preservation and fosters knowledge as a bridge between peoples." The agreement outlines multiple areas of cooperation focusing on heritage preservation and enhancing accessibility. Key initiatives include the analysis of pigments and dyes used in ancient Qur'anic manuscripts held by both libraries, capacity building and expertise exchange in collection management, advanced technologies, and digital content development. It will also involve the digitization of rare Islamic scientific manuscripts from the BnF, which will enrich Qatar Digital Library for the benefit of local and international researchers. Tan Huism, Executive Director of Qatar National Library, said: "We are proud of our enduring relationship with France's leading cultural institutions, and we are particularly honored to partner with one of the world's oldest and most respected national libraries. This collaboration reflects our steadfast commitment to global partnerships that enrich digital content and open new horizons for academic exploration. By digitizing rare Islamic scientific manuscripts and sharing preservation expertise, we are jointly working to realize our shared vision of libraries as beacons of creativity and platforms for intercultural dialogue." About Qatar National Library Qatar National Library acts as a steward of Qatar's national heritage by collecting, preserving, and making available the country's recorded history. The Library provides equal access to all types of information and services and aims to enable the people of Qatar to positively influence society by creating an exceptional learning and discovery environment. His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the Amir of Qatar, officially inaugurated Qatar National Library on 16 April 2018. The Library was granted the status of national library under the Amiri Decree No.11 of 20 March 2018. Website: The Library's e-newsletter: To subscribe to the newsletter, please visit the Library's website (homepage). Twitter: @QNLib Instagram: QatarNationalLibrary Snapchat: Qnlib Facebook: YouTube: Qatar National Library's Media Contacts: Joanna Al Mokdad Email: QNLpressoffice@
