Jadranka Keros

Vlado Carek

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A S CActa Stomatol Croat, Vol. 34, br. 2, 2000. 227National and University Library -Available Facilities andPossibilities of CollaborationVlado CarekJadranka KerosDepartment of MobileProstheticsSchool of Dental Medicine University of ZagrebActa Stomatol Croat2000; 227-228CASE REPORTReceived: September 15, 2000Address for correspondence:Prof. Vlado CarekDepartment of MobileProstheticsSchool of Dental MedicineUniversity of ZagrebGunduliÊeva 5/II 10000 ZagrebCroatiaTwice during the 20th century a National andUniversity Library has been built in Croatia; at thebeginning of the century from 1911 to 1913 and atthe end of the century from 1988 to 1995.The construction of today’s National andUniversity Library from conception to completiontook almost five decades. Namely, the first ini-tiatives started many years ago in 1947, and at thebeginning of the 1960’s the first preliminary projectfor the new library was completed. However, thatparticular project and location was soon abandoned.However, during the euphoria of the CroatianSpring in 1971 the Croatian Government, in keepingwith the new cultural policies of aroused Croatiannational consciousness, approved a decision tofinance four capital cultural objects: The Museumof Sacral Art in Zadar, the Museum of CroatianArchaeological Monuments in Split, the CroatianArchive in Zagreb and the National and UniversityLibrary in Zagreb. This involved the production ofa project for the building of a new National and University Library, in line with the latestachievements in librarianship, particularly withregard to the development of new technology andalso securing the necessary financial means forconstruction.After comprehensive discussions the new (pres-ent) location of the library was determined andtenders invited for realisation of the project, basedon which the work of the Zagreb architects, Hrzic,Mance and Neidharth was chosen. It was alsodecided that financial means for the constructionwould be secured on the basis of voluntary con-tributions from the majority of employed persons.The foundation stone was laid on 28 March 1988and on 28 May 1995 the new building of theNational and University Library was opened.A S CNational and University LibraryActa Stomatol Croat, Vol. 34, br. 2, 2000.228V. Carek et al.The National and University Library wasconstructed on a building plot of 3.75 ha. TheLibrary consists of three parts: a central building often floors and two buildings of five floors on eachside. The total floor space of the Library amountsto 44,432 m2 and the total capacity 4,500,000volumes. Each floor has 4,000 m2. The exploitableareas on the upper floors of the central part of thebuilding are flexible spatial units of open-planlayout with an area of approximately 3,000 m2. Thebuilding can accommodate 750 individual users,100 in seminar halls, 377 employees and 186 in therestaurant.The standards for the Croatian Library werepassed in 1990, which define the National andUniversity Library as an establishment within theframework of the decentralised library systems ofthe University with a larger or smaller numberschool libraries and libraries of independent sci-entific institutes.The total area and articulation of rooms forspecific use, and particularly the level of technicalequipment and level of informatics, are pre-conditions which suggest that the National andUniversity Library will become the central Croatianlibrary system for planning, further activities,reading, study and research, and also an competentinformatics centre in Croatia and the world. Bylinking the Library with member universities theinternational dimension of higher education isemphasised, which is also a good basis for inter-university co-operation within Croatia and on aninternational level.The organisation and function of the Nationaland University Library is based on the Law onLibraries, passed by the House of Representatives(Croatian National Parliament) on 19 September1997. The National and University Library is anindependent professional organisation within theframework of Zagreb University. It is the centrallibrary institution for all other units of the UniversityLibrary system, which initiates co-operationbetween faculty libraries. Thus the National andUniversity Library decide on plans for the futuredevelopment of librarian activities in the Universityand provide for their implementation.In accordance with the increasing need forrationalisation and economy, and at the same timethe increasing demands of new technologies, it hasbecome clear that there is a need to link our Schoolwith the National and University Library. This hasresulted in discussions being held on the possibilityof signing an agreement on future co-operation.By becoming involved in the activities of theNational and University Library, as a leadingeducational institution, which offers daily serviceto hundreds of users, we shall attempt to realise jointprogrammes, which, if they prove valuable, couldbecome a model of co-operation for other schools.Co-operation would include all activities of theSchool, from graduate and postgraduate teaching,scientific activities and permanent education, toorganisation of the School Library, and co-ordinatedacquisition of professional and scientific literatureof interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary impor-tance. For this purpose the National and UniversityLibrary has a central filing system with require-ments, lists of recent and recommended acqui-sitions. The central filing system carries out bib-liographic supervision and assists in the formal andcontent related elaboration of material, and in theproduction of informatics aids in all units of theUniversity Library system. The National andUniversity Library provides the means for generaland specialised data bases, and offers advice andtraining for all units of the University Librarysystem. The commencement of graduate teaching inthe academic year 2000-2001 will include a visit byfirst-year students to the National and UniversityLibrary, where they will be met by the Dean of theSchool and the Director of the National andUniversity Library. As future users of the Librarythey will be acquainted with all available facilities.The co-operation commenced this year duringpostgraduate teaching with the introduction of a newcourse of lectures “Scientific information: sources,availability and searching” in the National andUniversity Library. Possibilities for use of theavailable areas of the Library for permanent edu-cation, and for important meetings will ensurepermanent co-operation of these two institutions.

National and University Library - Available Facilities and Possibilities of Collaboration

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