Juma Al Majid Center for Culture and Heritage participated in the First International Conference on Library and Information Sciences, held from January 29 to 30, 2025. The event, titled “Library and Information Sciences in the Academic Landscape: Between the Challenges of Artificial Intelligence and Data Science,” took place at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Library over two consecutive days.
Organized by Al Wasl University, the conference brought together a distinguished group of experts, academics, and professionals in the field of library and information sciences. Participants discussed innovative solutions and exchanged ideas on addressing digital transformation challenges and enhancing the efficiency of professionals in this vital sector.
Juma Al Majid Center’s Participation:
On the first day, Mr. Riyad Taher Radwan, Head of Technical Processing and Repositories at the center, presented a research paper titled “Towards Developing a Strategic Plan to Enhance the Role and Skills of Information Specialists in Transitioning to Smart Libraries in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” His study explored the role of library and information science communities—represented by professional associations and federations—in formulating strategic plans for libraries of all types. These plans aim to keep pace with advancements in AI technologies and applications while improving the competencies of professionals at all levels.
On the second day, Dr. Mohamed Kamel Gad, Director General of the center, delivered a presentation highlighting the pioneering role of the Juma Al Majid Center over the past three decades in collecting books and manuscripts and making them easily accessible to researchers and scholars. He also showcased how the center, with full support from its founder, His Excellency Juma Al Majid, has contributed to preserving global heritage by providing restoration and conservation equipment to countries in need.
Additionally, Dr. Mahmoud Mohamed Abdel Alim and Ms. Manal Faisal Mohamed from the Technical Processing Department presented a research paper titled “Towards Building an Intelligent Technological System for Enhancing Bibliographic Record Creation for Digital Information Sources.” Their study proposed a digital platform capable of capturing title pages of information sources, processing them, extracting bibliographic data, and structuring them in standardized formats. The paper also featured a practical demonstration of the study’s findings, emphasizing the importance of academic, applied, and collaborative research in AI technologies—such as machine learning, deep learning, and optical character recognition—to cultivate a new generation proficient in leveraging these technologies for their professional and academic goals.
Exhibition Participation:
On the sidelines of the conference, the center took part in the accompanying exhibition, showcasing some of its latest publications, original manuscripts on various subjects, and samples of damaged manuscript pages. Visitors also received insights into the latest scientific restoration techniques used to preserve these historical documents.
