Doha: Qatar National Library held a four-day “Professionals Library” event in Msheireb Downtown Doha, from October 19-22.
The event, which falls under the “Read to Lead” programme as part of the Library’s “Qatar Reads” initiative, brought together like-minded individuals to share their ideas and expertise with others to support in improving themselves and using reading as means of promoting professional growth and self-development.
The event included participation from a broad range of entities, such as publishing houses and members of the Qatari Publishers and Distributors Forum, including the Ministry of Culture, Dar Rosa for Publishing and Distribution, Alif Stores and Dar Nawa. They provided book kiosks with a wide range of collections on professional and self-development.
The “Professionals Library” event included sessions on several topics including: “Professional Talk,” where participants had a chance to network with experienced professionals who embody career growth and development, and “Professionals Forum,” which offered participants a chance to take part in discussions with inspiring leaders in the Qatari community.
Riad Ahmed Yassin, Director of the Qatari Publishers and Distributors Forum said: “We are pleased to be participating in the ‘Professionals Library’ event. One of the objectives of the Ministry of Culture is to unite the efforts of cultural bodies and involve Qatari publishing houses in events that encourage reading and localisation of writers to highlight their publications and introduce the community to the Qatari publishing sector.”
Speakers at the event included Reem Al Thani, Acting Deputy CEO of Exhibitions and Marketing and the Director of Centralized Exhibitions at Qatar Museums who opened the event with a discussion on the “Multidisciplinary Profession” and how one person can operate in many diverse disciplines through reading. Other speakers included Mohammed Al Janahi, Professional Learning Designer at Qatar Foundation’s Educational Development Institute, Khalid Yassin, Chief Programmes Officer at Teach for Qatar and Wadha Al Athba, Certified Trainer and Life Coach.
Commenting on the event, Fatima Al Malki, Project Manager of Qatar Reads said: “The “Professionals Library” event is the first step towards creating a community of ambitious and enthusiastic readers in Qatar. We hope this event will help to build the use of reading and human stories as a catalyst for self-development and we hope to see everyone at next year’s event.”
The “Read to Lead” programme is part of “Qatar Reads,” a Qatar National Library initiative, which was originally launched by the former Qatar Foundation Community Development Department in 2019 to encourage residents of Qatar to read every day.
The “Qatar Reads” initiative focuses on making reading an essential part of the community’s daily activities in Qatar, and an effective tool for spreading knowledge, instilling values, encouraging analytical thinking and promoting social development. The project offers a variety of ways in which families, youth and various segments of society can interact with the world of reading.
