Qatar National Library 4A full slate of activities taking place at Qatar National Library (QNL), a member of Qatar Foundation (QF), this month will highlight Qatar’s heritage and culture, as the country and QNL celebrate National Day.

On 9 December, in honour of Arabic Language Day, the QNL Children’s Library will host an event aimed at enhancing children’s language skills. Librarians will be on-hand to introduce young visitors to the world of Arabic through storytelling, games, books, and various technological tools.

To highlight another aspect of regional culture and to celebrate Qatar National Day, QNL will host the Marasi Ensemble of the Qatar Music Academy in the library’s special events area on 13 December. The Marasi Ensemble uses traditional instruments to create authentic interpretations of maqam music, a style historically used in Arabic music.

Other December events will continue QNL’s mission of promoting early literacy in Qatar. Two events, one held in Arabic and one in English, will focus on helping parents understand different types of books, evaluate them, and support their children in choosing what to read. QNL librarians will also give parents ideas on how to build home libraries and encourage reading as a part of their children’s everyday lives.

QNL has already hosted dozens of events since it opened to the public on 7 November, offering something for everyone in the local community. Teenagers enjoyed an arts and crafts workshop that let attendees tap into their creativity, while their parents learned about staying safe through the ‘Parents: Safety at Home’ event. Mothers needing a break convened at the ‘Mother’s Tea Time’ event.

QNL’s world-class technology was on display as well, as visitors saw demonstrations of the tools offered at Innovation Stations, including green screen video studios and 3D printers. Parents were trained on using the children’s database of educational tools, while teenagers learned to program tiny robots during the ‘Introduction to Ozobot’ event. Meanwhile, adults learned how to use Google Drive in one of QNL’s two computer labs.

During November, teenagers had the opportunity to improve their creative writing skills in Arabic at a workshop, while another session introduced them to QNL’s vast collection of scientific books in Arabic.

For a full list of events held at QNL, click here.