The analysis of a mission, task quality, and evaluation of operation of academic libraries are
the target of the study. Interesting remarks of the Dean of Library Service of California University
in Fresno on improvement and modernization of operation of academic libraries, and especially
his reinterpretation of five principles of librarianship by S.R. Ranganathan (intelligent usage of
technologies, protection of unlimited access to knowledge - sources of information, creation of
future with simultaneous respect for the achievements of the past and utilitarianism - a positive
approach towards systematic implementation of new technologies to library activity) became the
basis for comparative analysis. Selected opinions on functioning of Polish academic libraries of
Polish researchers - Jacek Wojciechowski, Henryk Hollender, Artur Jazdon have been presented.
An attempt at characterizing innovations of organizational structures, as well as policy of
gathering, including the structure of a resource with clear withdrawal from universality of
collections in favor of their specialization and profiling, has been made. Factors concerning the
accessibility of resources and modern solutions within informational activities have been discussed
as well. The idea of cooperation of academic libraries based on coalition, cooptation, or exchange
[cooperation], as well as realization of principles of management in conformity to TQM is
extremely important. The problems of modernization of methods of trainings of first-year students
within ‘library adaptation’ have also been raised. The problems touched upon in the article are
significant because of a large group of information recipients [students and academic workers]
