Dr. Nabhan bin Harith Al-Harassi, President of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information, affirmed that the Qatar National Library is a prominent cultural and scientific resource not only in the Arab world, but also in the world. The President of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information said, in an exclusive interview with Qatar News Agency (QNA) today, that the State of Qatar was able, in a few years, to emerge and excel through a wide range of cultural activities and events that contributed to introducing Arab culture and intellectual heritage, praising the role of the Qatar National Library. In preserving the Arab heritage through its existing and ongoing project related to the digitization of the region’s documents, explaining that this project contributed to preserving and introducing these documents, and that it has become a source for researchers and scholars, especially in the field of history. He added that communication between Qatar National Library and the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information has been continuing since the opening of the library, and cooperation has been strengthened over time, and in a previous meeting between the library management and the president of the federation, it was agreed on a set of cooperation programs, including participation in the annual forum for library specialists, which will be held on March 19. It lasts two days, during which participants from the libraries, museums and cultural centers sector from all over the world exchange talks and experiences about their initiatives in the field of cultural diplomacy. Representatives of Qatar National Library also participate in the activities of the union, the most important of which is the annual conference of the union. Dr. Al-Harassi, a professor of library and information science and dean of the College of Arts and Social Sciences at Sultan Qaboos University in the Sultanate of Oman, appreciated the role of Qatar National Library as a regional center for the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. "IFLA" To preserve the heritage in the Arab world, stressing that the library had this status, due to its cultural and scientific location in the region, and thanks to its continuous activity in linking knowledge to society, as well as the scientific communication network established by the library with organizations regionally and internationally, pointing out that choosing Qatar Library as a regional center for IFLA Introducing the world to the Arab intellectual heritage that enhances civilized communication between East and West. Regarding the existence of a database on libraries in the Arab world, he explained: There is a database of research published in the library and information sector, and it is called a database "The guider"However, there is no map of Arab libraries, stressing that the Union contributes to developing the skills of librarians in preserving documents and manuscripts, as it provides continuous training programs in all sectors, including the preservation of documents and manuscripts, pointing out that the Union organized during the past years many training programs and workshops in the field of archives And documents, dealing with preserving documents and manuscripts, digitizing them and making them available. During the coming period, it is going to organize a scientific symposium and a workshop in this field next May in Tunisia, during which issues related to converting documents into electronic sources will be addressed, in addition to reviewing some pioneering experiences in the Arab world in Document management. Al-Harassi stressed that all Arab countries fall under the umbrella of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information and receive great attention, and that the countries in which libraries were exposed to security risks and challenges fall under the concern and study of the Union, noting that the Union issued a special book on libraries in Palestine, and another book on the challenges faced by libraries. In light of the Corona (Covid-19) crisis, he is currently planning to hold a symposium on the impact of libraries in conflict-prone areas based on the Union’s role in supporting and preserving Arab library heritage.
Dr. Nabhan Al-Harassi, President of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information, stressed in his interview with /QNA/ the need to invest in information technology in the work of libraries, and that it is no longer an option, but a necessity imposed by civilizational progress, and people’s desires to obtain knowledge quickly and with high efficiency, indicating that Technology has greatly interfered with the information services provided by libraries, especially during the past three decades with the advent of the global information network, and has contributed to managing the huge amount of knowledge that would have been difficult to control without databases and search engines, stressing the ability of libraries, with high efficiency, to adapt technology to serve its goals, And strengthen its relationship with beneficiaries and researchers. He added that in light of the knowledge explosion and the huge amount of information sources, and after the spread of the Internet and the second generation of it, content management systems appeared to try to organize information and facilitate its retrieval, and these systems have succeeded to a large extent in achieving these goals, and have evolved through systems by introducing more accurate techniques and tools. It responds to the needs of researchers, pointing out that we are witnessing models of highly intelligent systems in today’s world, and it is expected that content management systems will witness a huge advanced future, especially after the introduction of artificial intelligence technologies. He stressed that the digitization of documents and sources of information has become necessary now to link the past with the present, and digitization also contributes to preserving and preserving heritage, and making it widely available via the Internet, noting that many countries in the world, such as Australia and the United Kingdom, have worked to digitize their archives of documents and make them available to the public to enhance knowledge, and to introduce the world to their intellectual heritage. He explained that national libraries are primarily responsible for preserving the heritage of nations, collecting intellectual production, introducing it, and promoting civilized and cultural communication, and that these principles are compatible with the policies and strategies pursued by countries and seek to achieve them, as national libraries are the basis for achieving cultural diplomacy, and they are also The foundation for preserving identity and community values, and contributes significantly to implanting the principles of reading and reading, especially for young people. The President of the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information concluded his speech to /QNA/ by saying: The transformation of the knowledge economy requires the availability of information and databases, as well as the existence of institutions capable of providing consultations, especially in planning and decision-making, and these requirements are provided by national libraries, and therefore national libraries have contributed and are still in This transformation, but has always been a main axis in promoting knowledge in society, which contributes to the formation and creation of non-traditional economies, noting that the annual conference of the Union, which will be hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia from 14-16 November next, will be entitled / Libraries and Information Institutions Arabic and its role in promoting the economy and entrepreneurship. The Federation’s annual conference will address the importance of investing in culture and the role that libraries can play in this regard. It will also include topics on entrepreneurship in the library sector and creative industries, as it brings together about 500 specialists in the library and information sector. The conference will also reflect Arab and regional experiences in this regard. the field. It is worth noting that the Arab Federation for Libraries and Information is an independent, non-governmental Arab organization, established in 1986 in Tunisia, and is considered the largest umbrella for specialists and professionals in the library and information sector in the Arab world. Librarian profession. The federation has a statute that was voted on by the federation’s general committee, and it serves as the constitution regulating elections and membership. It defines the federation’s goals, directions, organizational structures, committees, and the tasks of the federation’s executive office.
