Qatar National Library (QNL) invites library professionals in Qatar to join this panel discussion and explore some of the throwaway statements made in relation to libraries, to comment on the truth of these statements from the point of view of their own experience, and discuss how we can move beyond them to future-proof the national library.
Qatar National Library (QNL) is at the start of its long journey towards establishing itself as a center for learning, creativity, and cultural development. As the world’s newest national library it benefits from the experience of well-established international counterparts whilst having the flexibility to re-imagine the concept of a library for the 21st century. In order to do this, it is necessary to examine and challenge assumptions made about and by libraries.
Tuesday, 17 April 2018
8:00 – 10:30 AM
Venue: QNL Auditorium
Target Audience: Librarians
Language: English, but Arabic interpretation will be provided
Seats are limited. To register, please click here.
Panelists:
Christine Mackenzie, the IFLAPresident-Elect
Dr. Sandra Collins, Director of the National Library of Ireland
Christoph Rauch, Head of the Oriental Department at the Berlin State Library
Darren Hoerner, Senior Program Officer in the Global Libraries program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
Saif Al Jabri, Director of the Information Center, Sultan Qaboos University
Ayub Khan, Head of Libraries and Face to Face Frontline Services for Warwickshire
Session 1
8:00 – 9:00 am
“Everything is online so why do we need a library?”
The aim of this session is to explore the role of the library in the digital age. Is everything available online? Should it be? What are the implications of the increasing volumes of online content? Panelists will be invited to discuss a range of topics related to accessing and making content available online including, copyright, data privacy, information ethics, open access, digital literacy, fake news, digital cultural heritage and digital preservation.
Session 2
9.30 – 10.30 am
“Libraries are about more than just books.”
The main focus of this session will be designing library services for and with communities. How do we design library spaces to better serve our communities? How do we engage diverse stakeholders? What lessons can we learn from other community efforts? How do libraries support learning? And, if libraries are about more than books, how do we evaluate the impact of our activities?