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Ailyn Agonia
DOHA
Engagement levels have been consistently high for our online events throughout the lockdown period, which has allowed us to reach a larger audience than ever before, said Khalid Al Yafei, operations director at Qatar National Library (QNL).
As the library welcomes people back during its phased reopening from July 15, Yafei underscored the popularity of their digital services and online workshops that kept QNL patrons and bookworms in the country busy during the facility’s temporary closure as precautionary measures due to COVID-19.
In an interview with Qatar Tribune on the eve of QNL’s much-awaited reopening, Yafei said since the lockdown began, the library has run more than 100 online events and workshops for people of all ages and on a broad range of subjects. Also during the period, he said the members remain in access to the library’s more than 190 databases, over 600,000 e-books, 16,000 journals and more than 465,000 reports, theses and dissertations, among others.
“Our events are curated by experts and they are driven by demand. We make sure that we always gather feedback from attendees after each online event to find ways to improve content and delivery. We also have responded to the COVID-19 by offering a range of events that reflect the lockdown situation, including live cooking sessions, virtual knitting classes and reading for self-development. Our team has adapted quickly to the current situation and tailored our events to offer practical solutions to being at home for most of the day,” said Yafei.
Aside from the library’s online databases containing a wealth of references on various subjects, he said QNL runs online events showing how members can get the most from these resources, with the next event of this kind to be held on July 16, while events in July focus particularly on science enrichment for young and old, as well as a series of talks providing a look at rare historical works from QNL’s Heritage Library’s manuscript collection.
He added, “Last month, we ran a series of events with Studio 5/6, an initiative of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, to help children discover a wealth of new digital skills from the comfort of their homes. The “Makers at Home” series allowed hundreds of children to discover a variety of new digital skills, including gaming, digital electronics, 3D modeling, coding and app development, and virtual reality. The aim is to help create the digital developers of the future. We’ll announce further programmes like this soon.”
On helping residents and library visitors maximise their membership while coping with the ‘new normal’, Yafei reiterated QNL’s efforts to find new ways to offer value to their members citing the popularity of their online events, as well as feedback from attendees as proof that demand will still exist even when lockdown restrictions are fully lifted.
He said, “Our digital offerings have come to the forefront in recent months and we are committed to supporting lifelong learning across all age groups and interests. Our librarians are ready and willing to assist everyone here in Qatar on their educational journeys, whether that’s in our library building or from their own homes. The library’s events and workshops will continue to be offered online until further notice, despite reopening our doors to the public with limited services starting on July 15, to ensure the safety of our patrons. Please visit our website (www.qnl.qa) and check our social media channels for regular updates of the events taking place.”
Yafei said the iconic building will be opening its doors with scaled-back services and phase in their regular offerings following recommendations from Qatar’s Health Protection and Communicable Disease Control Office of the Ministry of Public Health.
He underlined the preparedness of QNL to welcome people through their doors once again, adding that robust plans have been put in with the well-being of staff and visitors as priority, based on safety protocols to control the spread of COVID-19.
During the phased reopening, the library will operate with a lower capacity initially, and patrons will be required to pre-book their slot online for a morning (9am to 11am) or afternoon (12pm to 2pm) visit.
Precautionary measures to ensure the health and safety of patrons will be in place, such as thorough cleaning and disinfection of areas of high touch points to be carried out before and after each slot, reduced capacity of elevators and rooms, and the closure of certain library spaces. The building will remain closed on weekends. All entrants will be required to wear masks at all times and have their temperature checked upon arrival. Only visitors with a green status on their Ehteraz app will be admitted, and once inside, visitors should follow the social distancing stickers and keep formal and informal gatherings restricted to five people or fewer.
Commenting on engaging younger readers as the reopening of the library will only allow visitors aged 13 to 60, Yafei said they have been busy increasing their resources and services for children and young adults, and they will continue to do so while the library remains closed to them for the foreseeable future.
Yafei said,“For example, during the lockdown, we brought the magic of storytelling to over 20,000 children at home through collaborations with a number of local educational and entertainment institutions. We have worked with children’s broadcaster Baraem TV and Qatari educational institutions KidZania, Katateeb, Generation Amazing and Maktaba to reach out to young people across the country via social media to help strengthen the culture of reading and learning.
“Many of our staff members live-streamed and pre-recorded stories for children of all ages. For example, children’s librarian Ebrahim Al Bishri read Aesop’s The Lion and the Mouse in English and Arabic in his own unique style live on KidZania Doha’s Facebook and Instagram live feeds.”
He added, “We will be running more of these programmes and increasing the number of overall events for children and young adults. We also have a wealth of online resources catering specifically to children — audiobooks, comics, magazines, encyclopedias, videos and bedtime stories in English and Arabic, selected from the world’s best publishers. There’s something to entertain and educate children of all ages.”
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15/07/2020
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