Collections of departmental libraries

Wroclaw University Library collects publications from all fields of science and is universal library, but departmental libraries are special libraries, with more narrow subject matter of their collections. When enlarging their collections, they’re mainly focusing on fulfilling needs of students and employees of their home departments, institutes or sections.

Departmental libraries, the same way as the University Library, built their collections on the basis of restricted collections (in largest part – German philology, law and history). Later, main source of acquisition became domestic purchases. Import and exchange of foreign publications was centralized in Wroclaw University Library. Large acquisitions, mostly in philological libraries, were achieved by means of donations and exchange.

In the past, departmental libraries among with main library, created one library network, with director of Wroclaw University Library as supervisor of all of them, controlling acquisition, processing and circulation of collection, as well as personnel policy. From that period originated decisions of creation of central catalog for departmental libraries (1952) and central processing of current acquisitions of books (1973). Since that time the central catalog, as well as central processing of collections, have functioned to that day, and information about collections of both Wroclaw University Library and departmental libraries are accessible in one electronic catalog.

At present day, director of Wroclaw University Library has factual supervision over departmental libraries, and managed model of cooperation between main library and departmental libraries on fields of acquisition, processing and circulating of collections proved to be mostly efficient and useful.