FACILITIES& SERVICES

TheQatarNationalLibrary

@QNLib

QatarNationalLibrary

QNLib

QNLibrary

Qatar National Library

For all Qatar National Library news and updates, follow our social media accounts.

PO Box: 5825, Doha - QatarEmail: qnl@qnl.qaWebsite: www.qnl.qa

Table of CONTENTS

Facts and Figures

Facilities

Reading Spaces

Group Study Rooms & Collaborative Spaces

Instruction Rooms

Event Spaces

Innovation Station

Assistive Technology

Easy Accessibility

Children’s and Teens Library

Public Computer Services

Self-check-in / checkout Stations

Wayfinding Screens

Infotainment

Digitization Center

Preservation and Conservation Laboratory

Restaurant and Café

Services

Member Services

Ask QNL Librarians

Document Delivery Service

Writing Support Services

Research Services

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Qatar National Library (QNL) offers an

array of services and facilities suitable

for all age groups and demographics of

the community in Qatar. It also contains

a huge number of books on its shelves,

stored books, and online resources.

FACTS AND FIGURES

Below are some statistical figures about the Library:

Currently, QNL has over 800,000 items on its shelves, more

than 100,000 of which are intended for children and more

than 30,000 for teens.

In addition to this, there are 35,000 linear meters of compact

shelving in the basement, which can house up to 800,000

items for storage purposes.

QNL also provides its members with free access to more

than 300,000 eBooks and other materials accessible through

approximately 200 online resources, available 24/7.

For more details, please visit the QNL website: www.qnl.qa

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QNL has a variety of open reading spaces as below:

• 629 seats, beanbags, sofas, and bubble chairs distributed all over the building

• Reading spaces between the bookshelves to encourage communal gatherings,

study, and browsing

• Reading tables with power outlets and internet points across the building

• 28 study carrels that serve as quiet spaces for individual study

• A reading space for researchers in the Heritage Library area

READING SPACES

FACILITIES

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GROUP STUDY ROOMS AND COLLABORATIVE SPACES

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In addition to the open reading spaces, the Library offers a number of group study rooms

and collaborative spaces equipped with state-of-the-art technological solutions, as well as

audiovisual equipment for multipurpose use.

These facilities include:

• Six study rooms with a capacity for two people, equipped with seating and power sockets

• Two group study rooms with a capacity for four to six persons, equipped with seating and

power sockets

• Three media viewing rooms, two with a capacity for four people, and one for eight people,

equipped with presentation facilities, a media server and a screen

These spaces require reservation in advance, through the QNL website.

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INSTRUCTION ROOMS

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The Library has several instruction rooms for heritage and information

fluency. These rooms are equipped with AV systems for presentations and

audio and video conferencing.

The instruction rooms are as follows:

• Two rooms for Heritage Library instruction, outreach and presentation, with

a capacity for 16 and 36 people each

• One room for information fluency instruction, with a capacity for 13 people

• Two rooms for offering writing support services

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QNL has a number of event spaces, including:

• An auditorium with 120 seats

• A special events area, which can seat up to 120 people depending on the set-up

Both of these facilities have been designed for public lectures, theater performances, movie projections

and other events. They are equipped with high-end lighting effects, a media server and screens. The

auditorium contains facilities for presentations, audio and video conferencing and interpretation

equipment.

• Exhibition spaces designed to showcase items such as paintings, photography, documents, artifacts and

others, as well as a digital exhibition on 11 interactive totems

EVENT SPACES

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INNOVATION STATION

The QNL Innovation Station is a public space that offers a creative and

collaborative environment where ideas are shared, expanded upon and brought

to life. It serves as a hub for innovators, artists, musicians, creators and learners to

express themselves and turn their concepts into reality.

The Innovation Station offers QNL members:

• Computer workstations

• 3D printing and scanning

• Videography, photography, and digital design services

• Do-It-Yoursefl (DIY) technologies

• Old media conversion, such as legacy VHS tapes into digital formats

• A music production facility

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ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

QNL’s assistive services provide

a wide range of programs,

activities and technologies that

cater for people with special

needs and disabilities, whether it

is for research, studies, reading,

or hobbies.

This area has 16 adjustable desks

and computers equipped with

the latest assistive hardware and

software.

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EASY ACCESSIBILITYThe various levels and areas of the Library are easily accessible through:

• A combination of staircases, elevators, and ramps

• The People Mover System, which is a futuristic hybrid between an

elevator and an escalator, consisting of three cabins travelling along the

perimeter of the building; this system was custom-designed for QNL.

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CHILDREN’S AND TEENS LIBRARY

QNL offers the following services and facilities

for children:

• A wide-ranging collection of books for all

children’s ages and stages of development

• Materials for parents and teachers

• Developmental toys and educational materials

• Six computer stations with useful software for

children

• Eight iPads with the latest and most engaging

learning applications

• Areas with low and high working tables for

children of different ages

• A dedicated space for toddlers

• A multipurpose room equipped with a media

server, interactive screen, and presentation

facilities to show educational audio-visual

materials for children, as well as interactive

programs and storytelling activities

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The Library also has a dedicated space to

support the developmental, educational,

and social needs of teenagers.

Aside from the vast range of fiction,

nonfiction and graphic novel books, QNL

offers the following for teens:

• A dedicated study area and seating

• Working tables for activities and creative

work

• Six gaming kiosks housing the latest

consoles and games

Teens are also permitted to use the other

facilities and areas of the Library.

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QNL offers numerous computing services, including:

• PCs, printers, and scanners

• Internet access on public computers

• Wifi connectivity for personal equipment

• Basic and advanced software for work and research

• Two computer labs equipped with an AV-system and

presentation facilities to conduct training sessions. These

labs are open to the public when not otherwise in use.

PUBLIC COMPUTER SERVICES

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SELF-CHECK-IN/CHECKOUT STATIONS

QNL members can use their library

membership cards to access the 20 self-

checkout stations, located across various

areas in the building, for quicker and more

convenient borrowing of materials.

QNL members can also use these stations

to check their library accounts or renew

materials they have borrowed.

There are also eight book return stations.

Seven of these are located inside the

building, and one is a 24-hour drive-

through station outside the building.

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WAYFINDING SCREENS

There are four wayfinding screens that are distributed across different areas

of the building to help QNL visitors navigate their way to the various areas

and services of the Library. These screens employ the concept of augmented

reality, where the names of the various QNL facilities/areas are superimposed

on a real view of the building generated by a camera in these machines.

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INFOTAINMENTQNL has four large media walls and 11 two-sided totems

that display content from the Library collections, QNL

calendar of events, wayfinding maps for the QNL

building, as well as interactive elements such as games,

a drawing tool, and e-souvenirs.

Each of the media walls allows two people at a time to

interact simultaneously with the content presented on

the wall, so that eight people can use the four screens at

the same time. The 11 totems can be used by 22 people

at the same time.

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DIGITIZATION CENTER

The QNL Digitization Center provides

solutions for digitizing books, magazines,

manuscripts, newspapers, maps, documents,

2D and 3D objects, photography collections

(slides, negatives, and glass plates), and

audio/video collections.

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In addition to the digitization of all forms of

content related to Arab and Islamic heritage

and making them publicly accessible, the Center

undertakes custom digitization projects for

governmental institutions, private entities, and the

local community organizations.

The Center is equipped with cutting-edge

technology and software including:

• ICC Color-managed workflow to ensure color

accuracy

• Lab and studio facilities with high-end

digitization, scanning, and photography

equipment

• Advanced image enhancement software tools

• Text recognition for both Arabic and Latin text

using Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

technologies that enrich the digitized images by

adding a content-search feature and allow the

user to discover beyond the scanned images

• Cutting-edge imaging and lighting equipment

for 3D imaging, allowing researchers to view

objects in minute detail

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PRESERVATION AND CONSERVATION LABORATORY

Preserving cultural heritage is an important part of the QNL’s

mission. Therefore, QNL offers the expertise of a fully trained

international team and laboratories that are equipped with the

most up-to-date techniques and machines to handle activities

in the following areas:

• Preventive conservation

• Bio-deterioration analysis and treatment

• Conservation

• Material analysis to support conservation actions

• Scientific research

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QNL has a public restaurant located under the north tier. The

counter has open live cooking stations.

The building also houses a coffee shop under the bridge

where QNL visitors can grab a cup of coffee while reading

their favorite books.

RESTAURANT AND CAFÉ

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SERVICES

MEMBER SERVICES

Although the Library doors are open for all to visit, read

books, and attend public events, there are services that are

exclusive for QNL members - such as borrowing books,

reserving individual and group study rooms, making use

of the Innovation Station services including its studios and

production facilities, accessing online resources, utilizing

research services, and using the Document Delivery Service.

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This is a national reference service, which is offered

through the QNL website. It connects people who

have questions with the appropriate resources. To

use this service, please visit the ‘Ask QNL Librarians’

page on the Library website.

QNL users can also approach the Information Desk

in the library building for onsite help.

Through the Document Delivery Service (DDS), QNL provides its

members with materials, in electronic or print formats, that are

not available in QNL resources and collections. This service also

includes borrowing between libraries.

If, after searching the QNL catalog and online resources, a user

cannot find the material they are looking for, they may use this

service.

All requests for this service should be submitted through the

DDS online form available on the QNL website, with detailed

information.

For more details on this service and how to use it, please visit the

‘Document Delivery Service’ page on the QNL website.

ASK QNL LIBRARIANS

DOCUMENT DELIVERY SERVICE

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QNL provides the following writing support services:

• Individual or small group consultations with writing specialists

• Training workshops on academic, business, and leisure writing

• Assisting in exploring, generating, organizing, and evaluating ideas

• Guiding the user through the writing process that is related to a

specific topic

• Providing constructive feedback on the overall organization or

structure of the composition

• Explaining the logical development of content

• A writing club, where members come together to share ideas and

write poetry, plays, song lyrics, novels, and other genres

WRITING SUPPORT SERVICES

In addition to academic and research online resources,

QNL offers researchers free access to the following:

• Qatar Digital Library

• The QNL Digital Repository

• Subject Guides and Research Tools (available

through QNL website)

• Open Access Author Fund

• Open Access Vouchers

RESEARCH SERVICES

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