Manama: Qatar National Library (QNL) on Tuesday unveiled its new brand identity, inspired by the architectural design of its new home that is currently under construction in Education City.

QNL’s new logo is emblematic of the library’s facilities and use of the latest technology to bridge the nation’s past and future through knowledge sharing.

It symbolises the philosophy and rich heritage found in Qatar’s evolving culture, while the window-like feature conveys a sense of transparency, clarity and simplicity that supports QNL’s users to make new discoveries.

QNL’s project was announced in 2012 by Shaikha Mouza Bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

The library provides free access for students, educators, researchers and the wider community in Qatar. The QNL building is currently under construction, but many of its resources are already publicly available online, ranging from popular, newly-published material to historic and rare documents.

“Qatar National Library is supporting Qatar on its journey from a carbon-based economy to a knowledge-based economy by providing information resources to students, researchers and the community in Qatar,” QNL’s Project Director Dr Claudia Lux, said.

“Resources include freely offering a vast collection of online databases to all residents of Qatar. QNL’s new logo has been inspired by the architectural design of its new building, which symbolises the library’s vision of bridging with knowledge Qatar’s heritage and future.”

The brand launch coincides with the 20th annual conference and exhibition of the Special Libraries Association (SLA) to be held in Qatar this week. The event brings together some of the world’s leading practitioners and experts in the field of librarianship.

Many high-profile guests and dignitaries from all over the world have viewed QNL’s Arab and Islamic Heritage Collection.

Shaikh Hassan Bin Mohammad Bin Ali Al Thani founded the Heritage Collection in 1979, and it now provides an unparalleled array of historical sources about Qatar and the region.

The collection includes writings by travellers and explorers who visited the Gulf region over the centuries, Arab manuscripts, historical maps and globes, as well as scientific instruments and early photography.

The Heritage Collection also features up to 2,400 precious manuscripts, among them ‘Mushafs’ (Holy Qur’an) and Arabic literature, with a primary focus on sciences such as geography, astronomy and mathematics. These treasured antiquities are complemented by artefacts from the early European reception (early prints in Latin from the 15th – 17th c.) such as the famous “Qanon” of Avicenna (Ibn Sina).

QNL’s heritage material, documenting a wealth of Arab and Islamic history, will be featured through the library’s Qatar Digital Library Portal, which will encompass other valuable digital content drawn from archives about the Gulf region and Islamic civilisation.

In addition to book discussion events and training sessions, QNL is currently offering free online access to its vast collection of online resources, including the latest bestsellers, classical works, concerts, top academic journals and documentaries.