Saba Syed told QNA that the digital library is an indispensable resource for those involved in research projects, as well as for authors and individuals searching for their family roots. “In just the past year, the digital library has seen over 200,000 users. We are now in the fourth phase, having reached a total of over 840,000 users and 7.7 million browsing processes during the third phase, which spanned from January 2019 to June 2022.” The head of partnerships noted that the majority of visitors to the digital library are from the Gulf region, which constitutes six out of the top ten nationalities using the library. These nationalities include Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Bahrain, and the United States.
Regarding the achievements of the partnership project and its contribution to enriching academic life, she stated that over 50 books and hundreds of articles have been published between 2017 and 2023, citing content from the Qatar Digital Library. She noted that there is inn
ovative use of manuscript images on book covers and designs, adding that the rich content serves as a constant source of inspiration for library users, ranging from recipes inspired by heritage to music and business and political practices.
About the future cooperation prospects between Qatar National Library and the British Library, Saba Syed said that the Qatar Digital Library is continually evolving and growing through new content, features and a fresh perspective that will enhance the material currently available. She also noted that there are plans to continue digitizing an additional 600,000 images over the next two years.
Syed recalls the remarkable developments the partnership has undergone over the past ten years, by saying that when the Qatar Digital Library was launched, there were only two events: one in Doha and the other in London, attended by a limited audience. As the ten-year anniversary of the partnership is celebrated today, an online conference is being held, viewed by a global audience,
showcasing the impact of an electronic resource for historical collections that is open to everyone, she said, adding that there is a desire to continue collaboration and knowledge exchange between the two libraries.
The British Library is an important part of both British and global cultural heritage. Located in the heart of London, it is the second largest library in the world after the US Library of Congress in terms of content. The library houses around 150 million books, images, maps, manuscripts, and illustrations from all corners of the world, in various languages and formats, both printed and digital.
The library receives copies of every book published throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland, along with a significant number of titles from outside the country. This allows it to add approximately three million new items each year, including books, manuscripts, illustrations, magazines, newspapers, audio recordings, musical recordings, videos, patents, maps, stamps, databases, and more. Some items in
its collection date back to around 2000 BC, and all these materials occupy about 11 km of new shelving annually. Among the library’s holdings are around 18 million books, along with vast quantities of manuscripts and historical items.
The library originally began as part of the British Museum from the mid-19th century, functioning as a large reading room within it. It became a separate entity through legislation passed in 1973 and subsequently moved to its current location in the St. Pancras area of central London by 1997.
Source: Qatar News Agency