With UNIDO funding, Iraqi librarians learn tricks of the trade at McMaster
HAMILTON, Canada, 16 February 2011 - Two Iraqi librarians are visiting the McMaster University this week for training that will help in the rebuilding of their war-torn country.
Suzan Azeez Ali and Sawsan Fawzi Mahdi, librarians with the Specialized Institute for Engineering Industries (SIEI), are at McMaster to better understand how to run a 21st century engineering library.
Their organization, located in Baghdad, assists Iraqi industry with the application of national standards and quality assurance systems and the testing of industrial products - something that has been disrupted in Iraq due to years of conflict.
With funding from the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), Ali and Mahdi have spent the last week at McMaster meeting with and shadowing Library staff. What they learn at the University will allow them to better assist companies in Iraq which have industrial, engineering and scientific problems.
"The training has showed us there is so much to learn in the library world - so much more than just classification and cataloguing," said Ali. "There are many things that we weren't familiar with until visiting McMaster but that we will now try to get the benefit of using back home."
Of particular interest to the librarians is the Integrated Science Programme (iSci), an interdisciplinary programme that directly involves students in scientific research from their first year of study to graduation. The program utilizes many of the Library's state-of- the-art technologies for research purposes.
"We knew that the iSci Programme at McMaster was considered to be a step forward in librarianship and that it serves the promising capabilities of high school graduates, developing them into future scientists and researchers," said Ali. "We think that it is very important to share this information with our universities and institutes in Iraq."
On campus until the end of the week, Ali and Mahdi have so far kept a busy schedule, facilitated by engineering liaison librarian Linda Michtics. The pair have already met with staff focused on everything from the curation of engineering databases and the development of library collections to digitization and new media. Their favourite topic of discussion so far, however, has been the marketing of library activities.
"You have to be able to let people know what resources you have and what your abilities are," they agreed.
In addition to the distractions of war and economic sanctions, all of the SIEI's laboratories and production workshops were either partially or totally destroyed. Repeated conflict has also hindered its technical capacity and access to new information and modern technologies. Their facilities have since been rebuilt, and Ali and Mahdi are looking forward to returning to Baghdad to help expand their library.
"There is so much for us to learn from McMaster's training. When we get back we have so much to talk about - and so much to do!"
Adapted from the original article on the University website.
For more about UNIDO's Iraq Development Programme, visit:
