Qatar national library partners with Oxy Qatar to launch 'The blue jackal' children's book

Collection Of Stories And Fables Inspired by Cultural Heritage from Around Muslim World

15 June 2014

Doha, Qatar: QATAR NATIONAL LIBRARY (QNL) in collaboration with Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd. (Oxy Qatar) is organising the launch of ′The Blue Jackal′ children's book featuring tales inspired by cultural heritage in the Muslim world.

Echoing QNL's belief in keeping local traditions alive and encouraging the younger generation to preserve Qatar's heritage, QNL is inviting youngsters, aged 4 - 11, to the book launch, which will take place on 23 June at Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

The event will include a story reading by the author Frances Gillespie and will feature other children's activities. The story of the Blue Jackal and 17 other fables have been brought to life by the author who has lived in Qatar for almost 30 years.

Gillespie has worked in Qatar as a teacher, environmental consultant and freelance journalist. She began contributing to publications about Qatar in 2000 and turned to writing her own books eight years ago.

In recent years, she has concentrated on publications for young readers about Qatar and the Arabian Gulf including ′Qatar Nature Explorer′; a series of six colourful hardback books about Qatar. She is also the author of the best-selling book ′Discovering Qatar′, which has been re-printed three times since its launch in 2006.

Dr Claudia Lux, Project Director of the National Library, said: "At QNL, we are proud to partner with Oxy Qatar in organising this event as it will highlight the most important objectives of the library, which are to encourage reading and preserve Qatar's heritage for the future generations.

"One of the key functions of QNL being a national library is to collect and provide access to global knowledge that is relevant to Qatar and the region. It also collects, preserves, and provides access to heritage content and materials about Qatar and the region," she added.

Commenting about her latest book, Gillespie said: "I was inspired to make this collection of fables by the animals depicted in the superb works of art in the collection of the Museum of Islamic Art in Doha. I have also included some of their photographs in the book. Canadian artist Charlene Kasdorf also drew on this ancient Islamic artwork as inspiration for her marvellous and exciting illustrations in each of the tales.

"Without the generous sponsorship of Oxy, the publication of ′The Blue Jackal′ would not have been possible. My publisher Medina Publishing in London and I are deeply grateful for Oxy's support and encouragement. We are also pleased that QNL will be promoting the book by organising the book launch event in collaboration with Oxy. We hope this latest version of these 18 age-old tales that have delighted children for countless generations, will continue to enthral the youngsters of today."

Stephen Kelly, President and General Manager of Oxy Qatar, commented: "We are very pleased to once again work with the talented author Frances Gillespie, this time on a collection of traditional fables. These time-honoured tales, featuring animals that can speak, impart valuable lessons for children and adults alike."

The book launch will take place at Hamad bin Khalifa University Student Center within Qatar Foundation's Education City at 5pm - 7pm and is open to all children aged between 4 and 11 along with their parents. Free copies of the book will be distributed to the participating audience.

QNL, a member of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development, is currently offering free online access to a vast collection of online resources including children's books, illustrated books, text reading materials, magazines, DVDs and audio books and many others. Anyone who lives in Qatar and has a valid Qatari ID/Residence Permit is eligible for free library registration. To register, please visit www.qnl.qa and to access the complete list of online resources, please visit www.qnl.qa/find-answers/online-resources.

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Qatar National Library - Bridging with knowledge Qatar's Heritage and Future
Qatar National Library (QNL) is a non-profit organization under the umbrella of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development (QF). QNL is supporting Qatar on its journey from carbon-based economy to knowledge-based economy by providing resources to students, researchers and the community in Qatar. It was announced in November 2012 by Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser, Chairperson of Qatar Foundation for Education, Science and Community Development.

QNL carries out its mission through three functions: National Library, University and Research Library, and a Metropolitan Public Library of the digital age. The National Library function collects and provides access to global knowledge relevant to Qatar and the region. It also collects, preserves, and provides access to heritage content and materials about Qatar and the region. The University and Research Library function supports education and research at all levels by providing printed and digital library materials for students and researchers. Metropolitan Public Library delivers library services and information for everyone to enjoy reading, meet people, and become information literate.

MEDIA CONTACT
For more information about Qatar National Library please contact:
Gihan M. Baraka +974 44546034 gbaraka@qf.org.qa
Learn more about Qatar National Library online at www.qnl.qa
Twitter: @QNLib
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheQatarNationalLibrary

Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd.
Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Occidental Petroleum Corporation (NYSE: OXY). Oxy is one of the largest U.S. oil and gas companies, based on market capitalisation.

Oxy is an industry leader in applying advanced technology to boost production from mature oil and gas fields and access hard-to-recover reserves. With more than 40,000 employees and contractors, Oxy is committed to respecting the environment, protecting safety and upholding high standards of social responsibility throughout its worldwide operations.

Over one-third of Oxy's production comes from the Middle East region, where the company has been an active investor for more than four decades. Current focus areas are Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates. Oxy is well regarded in the region for its strong performance record, technical expertise and effective working relationships with strategic partners.

Oxy is the second-largest oil producer offshore Qatar, participating in three projects: Idd El Shargi North Dome, Idd El Shargi South Dome and Al Rayyan. In addition, Oxy is a partner in the Dolphin Gas Project, which supplies natural gas, produced from Qatar's North Field and processed in Ras Laffan City, to customers in the UAE and Oman.

MEDIA CONTACT
For more information about Occidental Petroleum of Qatar Ltd. please contact:
Hana Alassadi +974 44594215, hana_alassadi@oxy.com