Fake fur, fruit leather, and ferrofluids: Challenges to managing a materials library in the Middle East

Abstract

The Materials Library at Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar is the only one of its kind in the Arab Gulf region. The library's mission is to provide students and faculty with access to various industries’ most innovative materials and products. But collection efforts are frequently challenged by the school's geographical location. How can a diverse and eclectic materials collection develop and expand in the face of strict customs regulations, exorbitant shipping costs, and, most recently, a political crisis that has severely restricted the country's airspace and shipping routes? A supportive administration and a creative approach to materials procurement have helped the library become an academic and community hub for the research and creative productivity of students, faculty, and local artists and designers.