Embedded from the start: IT in the world’s newest national library building

Abstract

The first new national library of the 21st century was opened in Qatar on April 16th 2018. Built from the ground up with innovation in mind, Qatar National Library (QNL) functions as a national, research and public library all in one. This presentation will showcase the state-of-the-art building designed by Rem Koolhaas and discuss how embedding IT facilities from the beginning of a building process can bring the best out of a library when it opens. It will also look at what it means to start a new library service in a country with strong internet connectivity and high mobile use, but little experience of lending collections, library services, or public librarianship. Can a new library change the habits of people who get their information through their phones? Should it try to? What role does the connected national library play in supporting a country’s quest to be a ‘nation guided by knowledge’?