l strategic planning and library policies; l disaster planning.
The Director of Library Services at Ulster also engaged in several mentoring conversa- tions with the Director of Library Services at Mosul, offering strategic insights into service planning and development and evaluation. Both Directors benefitted from these discus- sions and valuable insights were gained.
Evaluation of the training
The Kirkpatrick evaluation model (1998) was used at the end of each module to assess the impact of the training. The model rates training across four criteria: reaction, learning, behaviour, and results. It was clear from the evaluation of the training programme that there had been a significant upskilling of the library staff. The responses indicated that library staff had gained a deeper understanding of the topics covered in the modules and believed that they could put their learning into practice in their own library environment. This was an incredibly positive outcome for the project.
SWOT analysis
The SWOT analysis of the Mosul Library context was based on evidence gathered during the duration of the project and offers insights into the strengths, weak- nesses, opportunities, and threats facing the library’s redevelopment.
It is evident that there is huge pride in the library and the staff team. The staff were very willing to engage in training and to work in partnership with external organisations to develop and enhance their learning and benefitted from the partner- ship with Ulster. However, the technological infrastructure available to library staff was perceived as a significant weakness which will impact on future progress. In particular, the quality of internet access was observed as a signifi- cant barrier to service development. The financial model for resourcing the library is also an area for consideration along with the absence of policy and strategy docu- ments to provide a framework for future service development.
There is considerable scope to continue working in partnership with a range of external organisations to meet new and emerging staff training needs. The project training assets are open access and can be used to cascade the training delivered by Ulster staff to the wider staff team at Mosul. The Mosul library has already acquired RFID Technology to support the security and circulation of library stock along with access to new Library Man- agement System, this provides a sound baseline on which to further develop and strengthen the library’s technological infrastructure. It may also be possible to explore the possibility of joining a pur-
36 INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL Group training.
chasing consortium to acquire information resources such as journals, databases, and books in electronic format, thus achieving economies of scale. All of this will help to close gaps in access to information.
Benefits realisation and project legacy As an outcome of the project, an MoU was signed between Ulster University and the Ministry of Higher Education in Iraq to enable stronger partnerships between Ulster and individual universities in Iraq. It is a declaration of friendship and
designed to open channels of communi- cation for university-wide conversations between UU and Iraqi institutions. The MoU was signed in both Ulster and in Bagdad in early October 2024 and should enable future collaborations between UU and Iraqi universities.
The Training Guide created to support the Ulster – Mosul Project is open access and hosted on a UU web platform and as such can be used by others in similar contexts and settings as part of the legacy of our work. The training materials can be located at:
https://blogs.ulster.ac.uk/mosulli- braryproject/.
This is the beginning of a journey of restoration and there is more work to be done. The library staff at Ulster University will remain available to offer support to our colleagues at Mosul University Library. It was a privilege to share knowledge and learn in partnership with the library team. Colleagues have become friends, and we look forward with anticipation and posi- tivity for the future of the Library Service at Mosul.
A charred page from the ruins of the Library.
We were both honoured and humbled to be presented with a framed fragment of a charred page from a book that was rescued from the ruins of the library at the Univer- sity of Mosul. The inscription reads” Here was our library. We never wanted it to be gone. It never left us. We will rebuild it.” The Project Team at Ulster was privileged to play a part in the renewal and restora- tion process. IP
June-July 2026
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