Directory Information Library: Qatar National Library Address: P06 205, Doha Contact: Mr. M.H. Al Nasar Telephone: 429955 Fax: 429976 Http: http://www.qu.edu.qa/lib.htm E-mail:

History & Collections


The National Library in the capital city of Doha was founded in 1962 as a merger of two existing libraries: Doha Public Library (founded in 1956) and the Educational Library (1954). Modern librarianship in Qatar dates from this merger. With six branches, the National Library also functions as a public library. Operating from a new building, its staff started recataloguing and reclassifying the collections to produce a central catalogue for itself and the branches.


The National Library of Qatar has been a legal deposit center since 1982. It has issued the annual QatarNational Bibliography since 1970. The Library also has a center for exchanging publications with Arab na-tional and university libraries, as well as with libraries in America, Europe, and other parts of Asia. Its book collection totals some 56,500 volumes in Arabic, 9,400 volumes in English, and approximately 1,300 Arabic and Persian manuscripts. It published on microfilm a catalogue of illustrated manuscripts, 1962-83.


f. 1962; Mr M.H. Al Nasar; 240000 vols; 200 curr per; 1 300 mss; Maps. microforms, 16135 mm films, CD-ROM 23755;

Sources:

Van der Meer, Willemina, ed. "World Guide to Libraries", KG Saur: Munchen, 1998.
Wedgeworth, Robert, "World Encyclopedia of Library and Information Systems", Chicago, ALA, 1993.
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