The Centre of Reference (COR) at Albukhary International University (AIU) Library actively participated in InfoFest 2026, held at Taman Jubli Perak, Sungai Petani, on 2 January 2026. Organised by Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) in collaboration with Albukhary International University Library, the main collaborator, and Majlis Perbandaran Sungai Petani (MPSPK), the programme was conducted under the Service Learning Malaysia - University for Society (SULAM) initiative. Implemented through UiTM courses IMD317 and IML301, InfoFest 2026 involved Semester 5 students from 10 classes and engaged the local community, including 47 UiTM students with disabilities (uDeserved). The AIU Library was invited to serve as judges for the student exhibition booths and was also allocated a dedicated booth to showcase AIU. Through its booth, COR promoted AIU academic programmes, library services, and inclusive education initiatives. An interactive ‘GOOLEE’ Game was introduced to encourage community participation and raise awareness on inclusive education in an engaging and accessible manner. COR’s participation reflects AIU Library’s continued commitment to community outreach, inclusive education, and inter-institutional collaboration.
The Centre of Reference, Albukhary International University (AIU), successfully organized CORPY TALK Series #8 titled “Ramadan Ready: Nourishing the Mind & Soul Through Reading” at the AIU Library. The session aimed to inspire students and staff to prepare for Ramadan not only physically, but also spiritually and intellectually through purposeful reading and reflection. Featuring Mr. Nidhoil Mohamed Ibrahim as the speaker and moderated by Ms. Kyi Nuu Phyu Sin, the session explored practical ways to welcome Ramadan with stronger spiritual discipline and mindful preparation. The discussion highlighted personal reflections on how to mentally prepare for the holy month, the importance of selecting meaningful reading materials such as religious texts and reflective books, and strategies for balancing academic responsibilities with spiritual commitments, particularly from the speaker’s experience as a former AIU student. Participants also gained practical tips on time management, consistent reading habits, and setting intentional goals to maximize both intellectual growth and spiritual enrichment during Ramadan. The session served as a meaningful platform for reflection, reinforcing the Centre of Reference’s commitment to promoting holistic learning and nurturing values-driven knowledge within the AIU community.
The Centre of Reference, Albukhary International University (AIU) successfully hosted Knowledge Connect: Expert Librarian Series #3, themed “Institutional Repository: From Scholarly Content to Research Visibility.” The session, part of the library’s internal training initiative, aimed to enhance digital library development and prepare for AIU’s Institutional Repository (IR). The session was presented by Tuan Haji Salleh Hudin Mustaffa, former Chief Librarian of Universiti Utara Malaysia and one of the founders of the Malaysian Academic Library Institutional Repository (MALRep), a national platform that has received content from 27 IPTA/S in Malaysia. He shared his expertise on managing institutional repositories and discussed the evolving role of libraries within the digital scholarly ecosystem. All AIU Library staff attended the session to strengthen both strategic and technical knowledge in preparation for IR implementation. He further emphasized that AIU must adopt an open research and publication model, including providing open access to AIU scholarly outputs. According to him, greater openness will significantly enhance research visibility, improve institutional discoverability, and improve institutional citation performance. Importantly, he underscored that the library plays a vital strategic role in collaborating closely with researchers to ensure their publications are visible, discoverable, and properly indexed. This includes guiding researchers on open access practices, metadata quality, copyright compliance, repository submission workflows, and research profiling to maximize impact and reach. The session underscored the IR’s potential to increase research visibility, support institutional SEO, expand global reach, and potentially boost citation counts, aligning with AIU’s goal of strengthening academic reputation and improving web-based rankings. Challenges discussed included low faculty awareness, copyright considerations, workflow development, and the need for clear institutional policies to support systematic research deposits. Suggested strategies included implementing green open access, librarian-assisted deposits, standardized metadata such as Dublin Core, and continuous advocacy through structured training and promotion. Tuan Haji Salleh also highlighted IR platform options for AIU, noting that DSpace suits larger institutions with strong IT support, while EPrints is user-friendly and allows faster deployment. He emphasized that AIU’s current priority for the IR is the submission of undergraduate FYPs, theses and dissertations, and lecturers’ publications. This session not only strengthened the professional capacity of AIU Library staff but also laid a solid foundation for implementing AIU’s Institutional Repository—a strategic investment in knowledge management, open access, and sustainable research development.
