Doha, Qatar: Qatar National Library (QNL), a member of Qatar Foundation, will host its inaugural lecture, ‘Information is Beautiful: A Data-Driven Tour of the Universe’, on 18 April. Data journalist and information designer David McCandless will use visualization to tell stories about modern life, exhibit some examples of enhanced journalism, reveal unseen patterns, and challenge the audience’s way of seeing the world.

The lecture opens QNL’s first digital exhibition, using its innovative digital technology to display visual data in both English and Arabic on 11 interactive digital totems. Visitors will be able to engage with unique visualizations and infographics, and compare and contrast interesting facts and figures on subjects such as reading in the Arabian Gulf, social media in the Middle East, Qatar, world empires, and many more. 

“For those of us navigating an age of info-overload, visualized information has incredible potential to help us find meaning in a complicated world. Whether it's military budgets, bird flu outbreaks, time travel in sci-fi films, or the contradictory scientific evidence for superfoods, infographics bring to life information and data that is too complex or abstract to grasp any way but visually,” said Dr. Sohair Wastawy, Executive Director of QNL.

McCandless’ blog and best-selling design-books Information Is Beautiful and Knowledge is Beautiful are dedicated to visualizing ideas, issues, knowledge, and data, - and to discovering novel patterns and stories in seas of data. His work has appeared at the Museum of Modern Art in New York and Tate Britain. McCandless, who curated the exhibition, will introduce its visualizations before his lecture.

Commenting on the exhibition, McCandless said: “It’s very exciting to share the first digital exhibition of my work in such an auspicious and beautiful building full of information and knowledge.

“It’s been a special delight to explore Middle Eastern and Qatari culture through the medium of data and design. I've learned a lot and I hope visitors will too. Visualizations look particularly elegant in Arabic. I hope it will inspire others in the region and beyond to express their ideas, data, and understanding in visual form.”

The lecture and exhibition are part of a series of special events celebrating the grand opening of QNL. A full list of activities can be found at www.qnl.qa.

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Qatar National Library

Qatar National Library (QNL), a member of the Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, acts as a steward of Qatar’s national heritage by collecting, preserving and making available the country’s recorded history. In its role as a research library with a preeminent heritage collection, QNL fosters and promotes greater global insight into the history and culture of the Gulf region. As a public library, QNL provides equal access for all Qatari residents to an environment that supports creativity, independent decision-making and cultural development. Through all its functions, QNL provides leadership to the country’s library and cultural heritage sector.

QNL also supports Qatar’s transition from a reliance on natural resources to become a diversified and sustainable economy by providing support to students, researchers, and the public to promote life-long learning and empower individuals and communities for a better future. The QNL project was announced on 19 November 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation.

Website: www.qnl.qa

QNL’s e-newsletter: http://qnl.qa/programs-and-services/subscribe-qnl-newsletter

QNL’s Twitter: @QNLib

QNL’s Instagram: QatarNationalLibrary

QNL’s Snapchat: Qnlib

QNL’s Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheQatarNationalLibrary

QNL’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/QNLibrary

Qatar National Library’s Media Contacts:

Gihan M. Baraka

Communications Manager

Telephone: +974 4454 6034

Email: gbaraka@qf.org.qa

Menna Nayel

Media Relations Manager

Cell Phone: +974 33531316

Email: mennah@bljworldwide.com

Qatar Foundation – Unlocking Human Potential

Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF) is a non-profit organization that supports Qatar on its journey to becoming a diversified and sustainable economy. QF strives to serve the people of Qatar and beyond by providing specialized programs across its innovation-focused ecosystem of education, science and research, and community development.

QF was founded in 1995 by His Highness Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani, the Father Emir, and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, who shared the vision to provide Qatar with quality education. Today, QF’s world-class education system offers lifelong learning opportunities to community members as young as six months through to doctoral level, enabling graduates to thrive in a global environment and contribute to the nation’s development.

QF is also creating a multidisciplinary innovation hub in Qatar, where homegrown researchers are working to address local and global challenges. By promoting a culture of lifelong learning and fostering social engagement through programs that embody Qatari culture, QF is committed to empowering the local community and contributing to a better world for all.

For a complete list of QF’s initiatives and projects, visit http://www.qf.org.qa

© Press Release 2018