QNL Signs Memorandum of Cooperation with Turkish Nation's Library

Qatar National Library

Qatar National Library (QNL) signed a strategic Memorandum of Cooperation with the Nation's Library (NsL) of the Republic of Turkey to expand knowledge in the fields of education, science and culture, and promote the development of librarianship.

The MoC was signed by HE Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, Minister of State and President of Qatar National Library, and HE Dr. Metin Kiratli, Ambassador, Director of Administrative Affairs of Presidency of the Republic of Turkey.

The partnership outlines broad areas of collaboration between the two libraries, including scientific, technical and cultural cooperation. The libraries will work together on capacity-building activities to enhance knowledge, skills and experiences through a series of staff exchange programs. They will also conduct online and in-person training activities related to cataloging and classification, databases, and multimedia systems, among others.

On the occasion, HE Dr. Hamad bin Abdulaziz Al Kawari, Minister of State and President of the Qatar National Library, said: "Partnerships with friendly countries like Turkey are special for us, as we share a common history and culture. This MoC is a celebration of the strong friendship between our countries and the firm cooperation in broad and diverse areas, beyond just culture and education. Our partnership adds to our ongoing collaborations with Turkey, as we also have a joint agreement with the National Library of Turkey. We are also aware of and admire the rich historical archives and especially the Ottoman texts that live in the Nation's Library, reaffirming our shared vision in expanding community knowledge. In addition, our technological advancements and digitization processes will add further value to our cooperation, impacting the Arab world and beyond. I am confident that our agreement today will drive future collaborations in the fields of digitalization, heritage conservation, education development, culture, librarianship and building a knowledge economy. We look forward to strengthening bridges of cultural diplomacy between Qatari and Turkish libraries in the years to come."

HE Dr. Metin Kiratli, Ambassador, Director of Administrative Affairs of Presidency of the Republic of Turkey further added, "Over the last decade, Turkey and Qatar have been strengthening bilateral relations across various areas including political, educational, cultural and environmental. It gives us great pleasure to further expand the cultural harmony established between the two countries, by signing a new MoC between Presidency Nation's Library and Qatar National Library. With increasing demand and interest in learning the Turkish language and culture, we see this cooperation as a long-term celebration of knowledge and learning."

In addition to the signing ceremony, which took place on 18 October, the NsL also donated 400 books by popular Turkish authors to Qatar National Library, covering topics including politics, public affairs, research and cuisine. The books will expand and diversify the Library's existing collections and help the local community learn more about Turkey and its people.

Furthermore, NsL and the Library will explore opportunities to host virtual digital exhibitions, exchange expertise in reference services and share operational knowledge based on experience and help and learn from each other to optimize visitor experiences.

The Nation's Library, also known as Turkey's grand library, was inaugurated in February 2020 and currently has over 2 million books, more than 13,000 periodicals and at least 18 private collections.

Qatar National Library continues to play a central role in sharing the cultural legacy of the Arab world while building bridges between Qatar and the rest of the world.

SOURCE: QNA