Presentation of the Library
Presentation of the Library
Presentation of the Library
The Library of the University of Gdańsk is a general university organizational unit tasked with teaching, service and research activities. The Main Library of the University of Gdańsk in Gdańsk Oliwa, together with six specialist libraries located throughout the Tri-City, form the University's library and information system. It also serves as a publicly available research library aimed at disseminating scholarship and culture to the people of the city and region.
History
In connection with the establishment of the University of Gdańsk in March 1970, the Main Library was instituted among the University's organizational units.
It began its activities on 1 July 1970.
Its book collection consisted of the collections of the volumes of the Higher School of Pedagogy as well as those of the Higher School of Economics. The Library of the University of Gdańsk also incorporated the collections of the Library of the former Higher Teacher Education School in Gdańsk and the former Library of the Teacher Education School in Oliwa.
Due to the dispersion of the book collection, the Library was organized on a subsidiary basis. Its fabric comprised the Main Library in Sopot and four branches scattered throughout the Tri-City. At the time, its collection amounted to around 300,000 volumes.
Zbigniew Binerowski became the director of the Main Library of the University of Gdańsk.
Current status
On 6 November 2006, the new building of the Main Library in Gdańsk Oliwa was opened to users. There are now more than 500 workstations for readers in the library, including computer workstations. Most of the collections in the new Main Library of the University of Gdańsk are organised according to subject classification and are made available as reference by sources in free access.
Today, the Library of the University of Gdańsk consists of the Main Library and six specialist libraries:
1. The Economic Library,
2. The History of Culture Library,
3. The Human Sciences Library,
4. The Neophilology Library,
5. The Law Library,
6. The Oceanography Reading Room.
The Library's book collection comprises 1,676,913 volumes/unit, including:
• 1,121,755 volumes of books
• 363,661 volumes of periodicals
• 191,497 units of special collections
Status at 31 December 2024
Electronic books and journals represent a significant resource. The library offers access to approximately 418,000 full-text e-books and 172,154 electronic journals (including 50,546 full-text and 121,508 abstract journals).
The amassed book collection is a universal nature with a particular focus on the disciplines represented at the University of Gdańsk and on widely understood maritime topics. Of particular interest is the Library's collection on the history and culture of Pomerania, both in traditional form and through new information media (audiovisual and multimedia collections). Since 1997, the Library of the University of Gdańsk has been one of 17 institutions in Poland entitled to receive compulsory library copies.
A valuable part of the Library's book collection is made up of special collections: manuscripts, old prints, cartographic, graphic and audiovisual collections (records, sound cassettes, videocassettes, etc.), documents of social life and reprographic materials (microfilm, microfiche).
Since 1996, the 19th century book collection has also been part of the Library's portfolio. Among the Library's most valuable rarities are old prints - items of value of Polish and world literature, and in particular old prints of Danzig (Gdańsk), the so-called "gedaniana". These include works by prominent representatives of Danzig (Gdańsk) historiography from the 16th to18th centuries, including Caspar Schütz, Reinhold Curicke, Gotfried Lengnich and others. Noteworthy among the manuscripts is the literary collection comprising autographs, letters and other personal documents of prominent 20th century Polish writers.
Our mission
The Library's mission is to support academic research and educational processes at the University of Gdańsk, in accordance with the expectations and needs of academic staff and students, and to meet the library and information needs of external users.The Library acts for the benefit of the entire academic community of the Tri-City through six lending rooms, 25 reading rooms and an information centre.
The key tasks of the Library include:
- accumulation, compilation and provision of access to collections from the disciplines represented at the University of Gdańsk,
- providing access to global information resources,
- development and modernisation of its own services,
- continuous improvement of professional qualifications of library staff to ensure the highest level of library services,
- providing training to users to support the educational process and self-education,
- promotion of the Library in the community.
Timeline
• 1970 - Establishment of the Library of the University of Gdańsk
• 1979 - Granting the Main Library of the University of Gdańsk the status of the Central Maritime Library
• 1992 - Computerisation of the Library and implementation of the VTLS integrated library system commence
• 1994 - Extension of the old building of the Main Library
• 1995 - Opening of the computer catalogue
• 1996 - Development of a central nationwide database of journal titles (CKTCZ)
• 1997 - Obtaining library legal deposit status
• 1997 - Internet home page for the Library is launched
• 2002 - Accesion to the National Universal Central Catalogue (NUKAT)
• 2002 - Construction of the new library building in Gdańsk Oliwa begins
• 2006 - The new building of the Main Library opens to users
• 2023 (11 February)- The Library of the University of Gdańsk is included in the national library network by a decision of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage
• 2024 (6 February)- Launch of Alma library system and Primo search engine in libraries affiliated to Fahrenheit Union of Universities in Gdańsk (University of Gdańsk, Gdańsk University of Technology and Medical University of Gdańsk) together with the European Solidarity Centre
• 2024 (6 February) - Libraries of the Fahrenheit Union of Universities join the ranks of libraries co-cataloguing with the National Library
