The Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine launches the activities of the third specialized conference on information and libraries

The Intellectual and Cultural Affairs Department of the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine launched the activities of the third specialized international conference on information and libraries at Al-Ameed University.

The conference is organized by the Indexing and Information Systems Center and the Manuscript Preservation and Archival Heritage Center affiliated with the Library and Manuscript House of the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine, in collaboration with Al-Ameed University, and in scientific partnership with the College of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Baghdad, in addition to the Information and Knowledge Technology Departments at the Mustansiriya University, Basra University, and Mosul University, under the slogan "Knowledge Leadership: Leading the Future," from October 13-15, 2026.

The opening ceremony was attended by Dr. Afdhal Al-Shami, a member of the Board of Directors of the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine, along with several of its officials, the deans of the colleges of Al-Ameed University, faculty members, and a select group of researchers and specialists in the field of libraries and information technology.

The events commenced with the opening of the electronic exhibition for libraries and information, featuring the participation of several centers from the Intellectual Affairs Department, the Central Library of Al-Ameed University, the women's library of Umm al-Baneen (peace be upon her) affiliated with the Holy Shrine, and several publishing and distribution houses.

Dr. Afdhal Al-Shami, a member of the Board of Directors of the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine, explained that libraries are no longer just places for storing books, manuscripts, and scientific sources. They have become centers for preserving human heritage, spreading knowledge, supporting scientific institutions, and providing a suitable environment for researchers, students, and intellectuals. He pointed out that they represent the link between knowledge produced by past generations and the knowledge that is renewed continuously to serve human societies.

He emphasized that investing in libraries and developing their services greatly contributes to investing in human beings themselves and achieving scientific and cultural development to serve current and future generations. As for cataloging, it is considered one of the fundamental pillars of library work; it is not merely a technical process for organizing books and recording their data, but rather a science and methodology that help in controlling, organizing, and facilitating access to knowledge in the fastest and most accurate ways.

He added that a successful library is one that can deliver to the user its resources, references, manuscripts, and documents in the shortest time and most efficient way. Therefore, it is essential to benefit from the fundamental transformations brought about by technological development, which contribute to the transition from traditional methods to a comprehensive digital environment that allows access to information sources anytime and anywhere.

The first day includes holding a research session titled: (Information Governance, Open Access, Indexing) discussing 15 scientific papers, in addition to organizing a workshop titled: (Overproduction of Knowledge Content and Professional Management: Challenges and Practices in an AI Environment).

The conference aims to highlight the latest smart technologies and artificial intelligence applications in library and information institution management, discuss mechanisms for the digital and sustainable preservation of Iraqi and Arab heritage, and provide a scientific platform for exchanging experiences between researchers and academic institutions to achieve knowledge leadership and future guidance.