As part of its continuous mission to forge partnerships and exchange knowledge and expertise, the House of Wisdom (HoW) explored partnership opportunities and avenues of cooperation in the heritage and cultural fields with the Qatar National Library (QNL).
The Sharjah delegation, spearheaded by Marwa Al Aqroubi, Executive Director of HoW, was received by Huism Tan, Executive Director of QNL, who lauded HoW’s efforts and activities to enhance dialogue and interaction between cultures and civilisations.
Discussions between the two sides explored cooperation and best practices in resource management, preservation, digitisation, documentation, and organising exhibitions. The Sharjah delegation highlighted HoW events, exhibitions, and activities to highlight the Arab, Islamic, and human heritage and creativity and instill the love of reading and knowledge in all segments of the communities.
The Sharjah delegation explored QNL, gaining insights into its valuable collections of rare manuscripts and state-of-the-art facilities, including the Creativity Station, Children’s Library, Heritage Library, and the multimedia rooms. They also explored the ‘Letters of Faith: Arabic Calligraphy in Indonesia’ exhibition, which exemplifies the collaborative spirit between the institutions and showcases the influence of Arabic calligraphy on Indonesian art and culture.
Commenting on the visit, Marwa Al Aqroubi emphasised the importance of cooperation among Arab cultural institutions, praising the advanced facilities and modern practices of QNL. She noted that these reflect its vision of providing high-quality knowledge and cultural services to the local, Arab, and global communities. Al Aqroubi said: “We look forward to collaborating with the Qatar National Library in organising various cultural events and activities that support our efforts in building a knowledge-based society.”
She added: “Both HoW and QNL share the common goals of fostering culture and knowledge and highlighting the local, Gulf, Arab, and Islamic cultural heritage, as well as keeping pace with global developments in preservation and digitisation. Hence, we aim to forge strategic partnerships, contributing to our mission of spreading culture and knowledge in the region and the world.”
Tan Husim, QNL Executive Director, said: “We were honoured to welcome the members of House of Wisdom from Sharjah to explore possible avenues for collaboration. As two cultural institutions, our shared enthusiasm for the power of literature to unite communities is a powerful motivator. As part of the meeting outcomes, we reiterated the importance of shedding light on Arab heritage and Islamic classics.”
During the visit to Qatar, HoW delegation participated in the 27th Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Special Libraries Association – Arabian Gulf Chapter. They also visited the Museum of Islamic Art and the Children’s Literature Centre.