IFLA President's Meeting

1. Challenges create Opportunities
The Future of Libraries
Claudia Lux
Project Director Qatar National Library

2. Integration
of Library Functions
Public
Library
University
and
Research
Library
National
Library

3. • Digitization and Access to Information changes
the perspective of the library guests
• Our separation in different functions is not
relevant
• Finding relevant material no matter what format
and what origin
• Access to information and all services around this
comes first
Opportunity: Integration of services

4. Integration
of Library Services
Public
Library
University
and
Research
Library
National
Library
Who decides what people are able to access?
How much librarians do to take down all barriers?
Are all services in the cloud?

5. Are no longer determined by the character and size of collection:
- as a remote public librarian in Canada can explain the usage of
Qatar Digital Library’s 700.000 digitized pages on the history of
the Gulf (www.qdl.qa)
• Are no longer deciding if somebody is allowed to access some
material – or?
• Do know about all the relevant content, free accessible
material (but not very well placed in search engines) of
National Libraries in New Zealand, China or of Europeana?
Opportunity: Librarians as facilitator of
access to information…

6. “Ask QNL Librarian” Service

7. Qatar‘s model of National Licences with
individual access and IP access
to eResources for free

8. • To market packages of eResources behind a paywall
• Oh, wonder: researchers also like to listen to Jazz
music
• Oh, wonder: the university professor access the
children night stories for her kids
• Outreach actions are changing – but knowledge and
training of librarians become more challenging
• Does anybody still needs books on the shelves?
QNL activities

10. • The new Qatar National Library is open and
functioning without a building
• fully relying on eResources and
• outreach activities.
• The new building will have real books on
shelves. Why?
• The digital services will expand with the
building! How?

11. • Qatar Foundation Education City Universities
• University Branch libraries (not the private
ones) open up and buy collections for the
general public (videos, music, fiction)
• Why? Why not?
• And is the special library world so special?
Opportunity: Public library services by
American University librarians?

13. Questions?
claudia.lux@ibi.hu-berlin.de