IN DEPTH ‘‘
Janet Peden is Director of Library Services and University Librarian at Ulster University.
Equipping library staff with the requisite knowledge and skills base was fundamental to establishing a modern, sustainable academic library service...
Restoring Mosul Library
Janet Peden, Director of Library Services and University Librarian at Ulster University, takes a look at an international partnership project to support capacity building for library staff at the University of Mosul.
MOSUL University Library was established in 1967 and was one of the largest University Libraries in Iraq and the Middle East. As a consequence of the conflict in Iraq during 2016-17, the city of Mosul was devastated and the University Library was completely destroyed with the loss of over one million resources to include thousands of rare pub- lications from as far back as the founding of the modern Iraqi state in 1921.
Over the last five years, the library has been gifted resources to help with the process of rebuilding its collections. However, some 60,000 students, lecturers and staff face ongoing challenges with insufficient access to essential information resources to conduct research or complete projects. The UNESCO project to restore the University
Library at Mosul sits within a wider UNESCO initi- ative to “Revive the spirit of Mosul” with a focus on building resilience and promoting rapid recovery and transition in Mosul. The University Library at Mosul plays a vital role in the preservation and protection of the culture and heritage of Iraq. Restoring the Library at Mosul is pivotal to providing access to a quality education system and lifelong learning opportuni- ties, both of which are critical pillars of support for a society in post conflict recovery. This speaks directly to the United Nations perspective on the importance of the role that University Libraries play in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
34 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL
Work on the reconstruction of the library space was completed in 2022 and at that point, UNESCO shift- ed its focus from restoring the physical infrastructure to capacity building for the library staff. Equipping library staff with the requisite knowledge and skills base was fundamental to establishing a modern, sustainable academic library service, capable of supporting the reconstruction of Mosul’s educational, cultural, and social infrastructure. A project team was established at Ulster University to work in partnership with Mosul University to support this capacity building initiative. Professor Kelsey Shanks – UNESCO Chair in Education for Peacebuilding and Human Rights at Ulster, Dr Jessica Bates, Senior Lecturer and Course Director for the Library and Information Programme at Ulster and Janet Peden, Director of Library Services and Uni- versity, worked together to agree the initial high level project design and implementation plan. The Project ran from May-November 2024.
This global partnership with its alignment to UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 (Quality Education), was a perfect fit with Ulster University’s Strategy, People, Place and Partnership: Delivering Sustainable Futures for All. Ulster places a high strategic value on sustainability and its impact on the SDGs. The project provided a unique opportunity for the Library Service at Ulster to function as an agent for change through participation in an international sustainable development project and collaborate
June-July 2026
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