A view of the QNL building in Education City.
Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Library is inviting researchers, parents, and history enthusiasts to a diverse month of programming designed to foster inclusion, preserve cultural heritage, and inspire lifelong learning.
The month opens with a focus on family well-being. The “Parenting Book Club” meets on June 3 to explore the timely topic of raising “Confident Children in Times of Crisis,” equipping families with practical strategies to nurture confidence and resilience in their children.
The cultural highlight of the month follows on June 5 with “Keys to Palestine: Memory, Stories, and Documentation,” underscoring the enduring importance of safeguarding Palestinian history and amplifying personal narratives for future generations.
Continuing the month’s family focus, the “Ready for School” initiative presents “A Parent’s Guide to Building Visual Supports for Children with Special Needs” across two sessions on June 6 and 8, offering parents hands-on tools to support their children’s development and school readiness.
Turning to academic advancement, “Publishing Open Access with Elsevier” on June 9 offers researchers, students, and authors practical guidance on navigating the open-access publishing landscape and maximizing the visibility and impact of their work.
Regional heritage takes center stage in the second half of the month. On June 13, the “Qatar Contemporary History Series” presents “Historical Writing: From Law and the Sea to the Archive,” offering fresh perspectives on Qatar’s past through legal documents, maritime sources, and archival materials.
Promoting community accessibility, the Library presents “Connecting Communities Through Inclusion: Audible Shelf” on June 17, an initiative designed to ensure that literature and shared knowledge remain available to all, including individuals with visual impairments.
On the same day, June 17, “Philharmonic at the Library: Oldies Goldies II, Classical Music in Cartoons” brings together beloved cartoon-inspired classics and live orchestral performances by CineMoon Ensemble from the Qatar Philharmonic Orchestra. Designed for audiences of all ages, the family-friendly event blends nostalgia, humor and classical music in an entertaining cultural experience.
Continuing its commitment to protecting cultural heritage, the Library, in its role as the IFLA Regional Centre for Preservation and Conservation for Arab Countries and the Middle East, presents the webinar “Protecting Cultural Heritage and Combating Illicit Trafficking: The Nicosia Convention 2017” on June 24.
Organized in collaboration with the ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence in Cyprus, the session will explore international efforts to combat illicit trafficking of cultural property, while highlighting practical approaches to implementing the convention and safeguarding cultural heritage.
Concluding the month’s programming, the “Gulf History Lecture Series” hosts “Caravan Trade: The Story of Networks that Connected the Arabian Peninsula to the World” on June 24,” examining the 19th- and early 20th-century merchant networks and trade routes that shaped the region’s economic and cultural history.
