In collaboration with the Central Library at the University of Baghdad, the Research and Development Department organized a training course on the Arabic Union Catalog and its services on July 1, 2017. The course was sponsored by Dr. Riyadh Khalil Khmous, Assistant President for Administrative Affairs of the University. In collaboration with the General Secretariat of the Central Library at the University of Baghdad, the Research and Development Department of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research started the Arabic Union Catalog course on April 29, 2015. Both university library staff and college library staff attended the course. Throughout the course, Dr. Khmous stressed the importance of dedication and hard work. In addition, he stressed the importance of implementing modern technology to facilitate service delivery and enhance library users' experiences.

In the opening presentation, Dr. Faiza Adib Abdulwahid, a librarian and information expert at the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, spoke about libraries and information. In her speech, she stressed the importance of the Arabic Union Catalog and its role in providing services to all libraries. In addition, she noted the importance of including all libraries in the AUC to establish a gateway for Iraqi universities. This would minimize effort and time while unifying cataloging standards. She also acknowledged the ministry's continuous support in adopting an integrated and unified automated system for all Iraqi university libraries.

She lectured on the Arabic Union Catalog portal, its services, and the importance of the AUC for member libraries at the Central Library. She also discussed the MARC format and its importance for libraries. "Utilizing the Services of the Arabic Union Catalog" was the title of Assistant Professor Aida Mustafa Salman's lecture on the second day of the course. As she explained the portal's main topics, how to use it practically, and the portal's main interface, she provided a comprehensive explanation of the portal's main features. AUC database connectivity, search services, and the essential services offered are also discussed. In addition, AUC's original uploading and transferrable uploading services and the use of MARC for cataloging were discussed, and the cataloging process itself.

The course was concluded with the presence of Dr. Ghassan Hameed, the Director-General of the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research's Research and Development Department. The University's Assistant President for Scientific Affairs is Dr. Osama Abdul Latif. A discussion was held about libraries' importance and role in supporting scientific research and serving society. The E-university project played a crucial role in achieving this. In addition, they discussed how to overcome obstacles and difficulties in the development of libraries. In addition, libraries contribute significantly to creating a collaborative environment between users and libraries.

At the end of the course, certificates of participation were distributed to participants, who expressed their appreciation for the course, the lecturers, and the valuable information they learned. Also, they expressed their desire to work with us in the future and their sincere commitment.