Historical review

The decision to found the University Library was made by the University Senate in Kragujevac on May 6th in 1977. The main aim was, by founding and developing the Library, to make conditions for fulfilling functions and development of the contemporary University.

The Library was moved in the adapted basement space of the Self-management House of that time (the Rectorate was also there) at the end of 1978, with available space of 525m2 and 70 places for readers. It was opened for readers on January 3rd in 1979, and considering its attractive downtown location, it acquired numerous reading public very soon.

At the end of 1981, as part of the newly-built building of Law School, a functional space of 1500m2 was provided for the purpose of the University Library. A big step in Library development was made when it was moved into a new building of Law School, where a reading room was made, with a gallery of 436m2 and 200 places for readers, several storage rooms (depots) for storing publications, with the surface of 218m2, 10 offices for employees and other rooms.

The University Senate reached a decision on June 5th 1985 to separate the University Library in Kragujevac from being a part of the Community of Workers of the University and it continued its work as an independent working organization in the field of education, science and culture.

A director governs the work of the University Library, without restrictions. Since its foundation up to 2014 its governors (directors) were:
Milan Stanković (1978-1983),
Ružica Ignjatović, acting director (1983-1986),
Aleksandar Milosavljević (1986-1997),
Ružica Ignjatović (1997-2006) and
Mira Matić (2006).

Library today

The University Library in Kragujevac is a library of a generally scientific character, and its activity has the function of teaching, scientific and researching processes at the University. This is how it contributes to successful studying, spreading and affirmation of knowledge, teaching and scientific advanced training and creative work of professors and researchers on faculties and institutes of the University in Kragujevac. The Library users are, primarily, students, postgraduates, university professors, workers in the field of science, and all other citizens under special conditions.

The Library is situated in a part of the University complex, taking space of  1500m2, and it includes: the main reading room with 50 places for readers and 10 places for free Internet access, periodical reading room with 20 places for readers, several storage rooms (depots) for storing publications, working offices for employees and University Gallery.

The active Library holdings total around 100.000 copies of domestic and foreign books, 2.500 copies of doctoral dissertations and master theses, defended on faculties of the University in Kragujevac, as well as 450 titles of domestic and 105 titles of foreign journals. A reference collection of domestic and foreign references is of special importance (encyclopedias, dictionaries, reference books, bibliographies) as well as several legacies of important institutions of this town and of outstanding people of this region. All Library holdings have been catalogued, they are in computer base of the Library and are available to users.

Following contemporary tendencies in library science, the Library has accepted a unique user software package COBISS. The software is an organizational model of connecting library and information system, with mutual cataloguing, mutual bibliography and catalog database (COBIB) and local databases of libraries which are members of Virtual Libraries of Serbia (VBS). The COBISS system is based on on-line communications which are conducted via Internet, i.e. Academic network to which the Library is connected. In that way, numerous databases are available to users via KoBSON (consortium of libraries in Serbia for united acquisitions), the license of which has been provided by the Department of Science and Environmental Conservation. One hundred and sixty libraries have been connected via COBISS system so far on the territory of Serbia Republic.

Publications that users cannot find in Library funds are provided by means of interlibrary loan from other libraries in the country and abroad.

The activity of the Library is performed within organizationally linked departments:
· Acquisitions and Processing Department,
· Periodicals Department,
· Funds, Conservation and Circulation Department,
· Department for Information and Reference Activity,
· Department for Legal, General and Financial Affairs.

The University Library, as part of its main activity, accomplishes a series of accompanying programs (scientific, literary and cultural, teaching and educational, vocational and publishing). The Library has its own publishing activity and publishes Bibliography of papers of professors and researchers of the University, as well as Bibliography of doctoral dissertations and master theses defended at University of Kragujevac.

The Library is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. on working days and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday.