All photos by Nada Badawi
Not many buildings in Qatar live to be more than 50 years old.
But the Qatar National Library in Al Ghanim has quietly endured, despite few visitors and amid uncertainty about its future.
A peaceful respite from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, the library houses more than 300,000 titles.
It was established in 1962 as Dar al Kutub al Qatariyya, and is one of the oldest libraries in the Gulf.
What’s inside
Inside the library is a wide collection of books, some offering a historical look at Qatar.
According to librarian Yakub Al Ansari, the Arabic titles range from Islamic texts and hadith to ancient history, geography and culture.
But the (smaller) English collection is more contemporary, including fiction works and non-fiction titles about international relations, medicine and other subjects.
There is also a very limited French and Japanese section.
Little foot traffic
In the sprawling first-floor reading room, books line every wall and some of the shelves go from the floor to the ceiling.
There’s no WiFi, but desktop computers do offer an internet connection.
Most days, the library sees very few to no visitors, Al Ansari said. And membership, which is free, has never crossed 2,000 people, he told Doha News.
Nada Badawi / Doha News
Original Qatar National Library
That said, the ground floor reading room sometimes gets traffic from people interested in poring over the daily Arabic and English newspapers.
Though Dar Al Kutub’s titles are listed in the upcoming state-of-the-art Qatar National Library’s online catalogue, this building has no other connection with its namesake in Qatar Foundation.
“Books that are part of our collection are marked Dar al Kutub Al Qatariyya in the catalogue,” Al Ansari explained.
However, it remains unclear whether this library will stay open once QF’s building launches, he added.
Dar Al Kutub is open weekdays from 7am to 2pm and again between 4pm and 6pm.
Children are not allowed inside, but are welcome to accompany women into the Al Khansa Library Al Hilal, Al Ansari said.
Book loans
Residents who wish to visit the library or simply pick out a book and read it there are welcome. To take up to three titles home, residents need to apply for a membership.
This is free and open to both nationals and expats, but a new member must have his/her workplace attest a form to get it processed, Al Ansari said.
Karoly Czifra/Flickr
Photo for illustrative purposes only.
The books can be borrowed for up to a month at a time, which can be extended via phone call for another month.
The library also welcomes donations.
Currently, it operates on a budget from the Minister of Culture and Sports, and buys most of its new books from the annual Doha International Book Fair.
“This year the fair will be held in November,” Ansari told Doha News.
Have you ever visited the library? Thoughts?
(The post Oldest library in Qatar offers a quiet respite is from Doha News.)