The Qatar National Library (QNL) and the British Library have celebrated the 10th anniversary of Qatar Digital Library (QDL), one of the largest online repositories on the history and culture of the Middle East.
QNL Director of National Collection and Special Initiatives, Abeer al-Kuwari, said the event marks a milestone that reflects the enduring value of preserving and sharing the rich history of the Middle East.
"The Qatar Digital Library is a diverse and dynamic resource,” she said. “It serves amateur historians who delve into their family histories, teachers who bring history to life in their classrooms and academics across various disciplines who conduct in-depth research."
"Each user, whether a casual explorer or a dedicated scholar, contributes to a collective appreciation of the rich historical narratives that have shaped our region,” al-Kuwari noted.
The event brought together academics, researchers and practitioners to discuss the work they conducted using the QDL.
The conference showcased the extensive array of material available on the platform and how researchers can leverage such resources to conduct their work.
Held Monday, the conference featured three panels, dedicated to the History of the Middle East, the History of Business in the Gulf, and Arabic Manuscripts.
The first panel brought together professor of translation and intercultural studies at Queen's University Belfast in the UK, Sue-Ann Harding, along with professor of contemporary history and politics of the Middle East at Qatar University (QU), Mahjoob Zweiri, and senior archaeology specialist at Qatar Museum, Robert Carter.
Prof Harding, whose book touches on the history of the Qatar peninsula, said her work would not have been possible without the Qatar Digital Library.
Prof Zweiri spoke about the importance of writing contemporary history.
"The exceptional contribution of the Qatar Digital Library in facilitating easy access to historical resources related to Qatar and the wider Gulf region, has played a pivotal role in breaking down barriers to historical research by providing a comprehensive collection of sources that are crucial for historians interested in studying the region,” he said.
“By offering a diverse range of materials, the QDL has effectively eliminated the challenges posed by geographical limitations, thereby opening up new avenues for research and scholarship," Prof Zweiri added.
The second panel featured Roma Tre University associate professor Giuliano Garavini, who discussed the 1973 “Oil Shock”.
“Ottoman Shipping in the Indian Ocean and Basra as Contrapot of the Gulf” was the focus of a session by assistant professor of South Asian history at the University of North Carolina, Michael O'Sullivan.
During the third panel, Amelie Couvrat Desvergnes, an independent paper and book conservator based in the Netherlands, discussed the history, production, import and uses of paper in 19th-century Iran.
Daniel Martin Varisco, anthropologist, historian and former research professor at the QU, touched on the Arab Gulf almanac tradition while US-based Iraqi food writer Nawal Nasrallah delivered a presentation titled *Reminiscences on the Year QDL Saved Me.
The library launched the QDL's digitisation campaign in 2014, two years after partnering with the British Library.
Digitisation began with the British Library's most important historical collection of records, maps and photographs on Qatar and the Gulf in its India Office Records and Private Papers collection.
Today, the QDL attracts an average of 200,000 unique users and over 2mn page views a year.
Enhanced accessibility to historical resources has contributed to an increase in new studies on the Gulf, connecting younger generations with their ancestors, and enriching research on the cultures of the Arab world.
"The QDL has been a priceless instrument for scholars like me, to whom manuscripts from the mediaeval Muslim world, texts and illustrations alike, constitute the basic ingredient for our research,” Nasrallah said. “Making them available in digitised formats has indeed made an otherwise daunting task wieldier and more fruitful in its results."
An initiative of Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, the QDL was at the centre of the QNL's strategy to digitise historical records about the region from around the world and to digitally repatriate them to Qatar.
The QDL's collections offer insights into the region's trading practices, the two World Wars, the petroleum industry, Britain's imperial administration of the region, treaties, marine navigation, military operations, civil aviation, economic forums, Arab nationalism and medicine.
The QDL also houses a rare collection of Arabic manuscripts on a variety of topics including medicine, astronomy, mathematics, geometry, geography and military science. – QNA
