Conclusion of the Third International Specialized Conference on Information and Libraries

The Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine has concluded the proceedings of the Third International Specialized Conference on Information and Libraries.

The conference was organized by the Department of Intellectual and Cultural Affairs—represented by the Indexing and Information Systems Center and the Al-Fadl Center for the Preservation and Conservation of Heritage, both affiliated with the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine’s Library and Manuscript House—in collaboration with Al-Ameed University. It was held in academic partnership with the College of Artificial Intelligence at the University of Baghdad, as well as the departments of Information and Knowledge Technologies at Al-Mustansiriya University, the University of Basrah, and the University of Mosul. The three-day event was held under the theme: "Knowledge Leadership: Steering the Future."

The first day’s activities, hosted at Al-Ameed University, featured a workshop titled "The Overproduction of Knowledge Content and Professional Management: Challenges and Practices in an Artificial Intelligence Environment." Additionally, a research session titled "Information Governance, Open Access, and Indexing" was held, during which 15 scholarly papers were discussed.

The second day of the conference included research sessions covering topics such as artificial intelligence, big data, digital technologies, systems integration, augmented reality, and sustainable library management. Discussions also addressed archives, documentation, and cultural memory—encompassing both digital and institutional heritage—and concluded with the honoring of participating researchers in recognition of their scholarly contributions.

The third and final day of the conference—held in the Imam al-Hasan (peace be upon him) Hall at the Al-Abbas's (p) Holy Shrine—featured a specialized workshop on artificial intelligence and its applications in the fields of library and information science, as well as augmented reality (AR) technologies. An introductory film about Al-Ameed University was also screened, showcasing its academic journey, faculties, specializations, infrastructure, and student services. The film highlighted the university’s achievement of 31 academic accreditations, reflecting its commitment to enhancing the quality of education and elevating academic performance.

The conference program included a workshop titled "Building the Moon (Bina’ al-Qamar): An Open-Source Experimental System for AR, BIBERAME, and Linked Data in Service of Iraqi Intellectual Heritage," presented by researcher Ishaq Faleh from the Center for Indexing and Information Systems. This was followed by the closing remarks and the announcement of the conference recommendations, delivered by Dr. Zainab Abdul-Wahid Salman, Head of the Department of Information and Knowledge Technologies at Al-Mustansiriya University. Additionally, the participating universities and colleges that contributed to the conference were honored.

The event concluded with the recognition of participating centers and departments, as well as the winners of the award for the best thesis and dissertation in the fields of information and knowledge technologies in Iraq for the 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 academic years. Furthermore, the family of the late Dr. Ali Al-Hurr Lazim—a faculty member in the Department of Information and Knowledge Technologies at Al-Mustansiriya University—was honored.

The conference aims to highlight the latest smart technologies and artificial intelligence applications in the management of libraries and information institutions, discuss mechanisms for the digital and sustainable preservation of Iraqi and Arab heritage, and provide a scholarly platform for the exchange of expertise among researchers and academic institutions, with the goal of achieving leadership in knowledge and shaping the future.