My library

History

The history of the University Library of the University of Žilina (UK ŽU) is closely connected with the foundation of the College of Railway in Prague. The primary inventory consisted of units from the library of the Czech Technical College in Prague and moved to Žilina in 1961.

In order to replace traditional library services, the process of gradual rebuilding of the college libraries to study and information centres began in the 1970´s. At that time the Library of Transport College followed suit and was renamed the Central Library and Study and Information Centre. At that time first attempts for computerization of selected library activities took place (e.g. computerized databases were gradually made available for information retrieval). In 1991 the library moved to the current location, Veľký diel. Renaming of the Central Library and Study and Information Centre to the University Library in 1997 was accompanied with significant enhancements of standard activities that made services more effective.

More than a two decades, the Library has been available on the web page http://ukzu.uniza.sk/. The on-line catalogue includes records of all the documents held and accessed from the Library collections. The contents and extent of the page have changed several times depending on the development and possibilities of information and communication technologies. The library with its library information system has undergone several stages of development what has found its reflection mainly in the quality, extent, accessibility and speed of provided services. The University Library implemented the complex automated library system DAWINCI into its technological processes in the year 2003.

Services

The University Library of the University of Žilina as a cultural, educational and informational institution, administers the university electronic library information system, it acquires, professionally processes, holds, protects and makes available home and foreign, scientific and professional information documents regardless of their form. It acts as a central, coordinating and consulting place of the University of Žilina and in the framework of its mission, it provides pedagogues, research workers, students of the University of Žilina and the public with library information services. The University Library provides complex library activities which are determined by the university needs and law – lending services, interlibrary loan system, international interlibrary loan system, bibliographic search services; it makes available electronic information sources; it builds its own electronic databases; it provides consulting services, retrographic services and scanning of documents; it organizes cultural and promotional events and lectures; it prepares professional activities within the Slovak Library Association of Libraries in the Academic Libraries Section.

The basic controlled professional activity of the Library is the acquisition of all types of information sources (printed documents, electronic media, electronic information sources) in such a form which reacts flexibly on the securing of information needs of users.

The goal of the activities is to steadily increase the contribution of the Library into the educational processes of the University by a continuous development and providing of electronic library services (e-accessibility of full texts of documents). The increase in proportion of this type of services requires a systematic building of information resources and an organized administration of e-accessibility of documents which the reader can access directly via the web page or on-line library catalogue.

Organisational structure

Department of acquisition and the organization of collections
Department of service and preservation
Bibliographic and information department
Department of development and user support

Department of acquisition and the organization of collections

acquisition and computer processing of library items
acquisition of specialized literature and other serials
catalogue of standards
advisory and methodical activities focused on the libraries of the departments and other institutes of UNIZA

Department of service and preservation

realization of lending process
providing loans in study rooms
providing interlibrary and international interlibrary loan service
acces to Internet
protection of library holdings
consulting
reprography

Bibliographic and information department

information retrieval
online access to information – network services
processing of documents published by UNIZA workers into bibliographic database
home and international exchange of publications
lecturing and consulting

Department of development and user support

E- books and databases, digitization, digital repository
User support, research of public relations, marketing, website maintanance, Facebook page, propagation of projects and activities

Where you can study and relax in University Library:

Study Room 1

Study Room 1 is located on the first floor on the right side. You can find there 10 computers with connection to internet, 2 of them are installed in English – Erasmus Point. If you want to use our reprographic services, you are on the right place. In the second part of room is located study space for students with laptops or mobile devices. In all parts of room you can use university WIFI conection.

Study Room 2

You can find Study Room 2 on the first floor on the left side. There are 9 computers with connection to internet, also you can read all books from our shelves, or lend books through our service „Rental Bail” for the weekend.

Study and Relax Room

In the year 2016 we reconstructed this place for our users. Our study and relax room is on the first floor opposite to the staircase. You can find here quiet place for your teamwork or relax.

Reading space Under the Three

Reading space Under the Tree is our recent project, which was realised in May 2017. If you love sun and nature, you are on the right spot at University Library.

Relax Zone

We realize that relax and freetime is very importent part of student’s life at the Univesity, therefore we created this new relax zone in Lending Room on the ground floor. Here you can find two shelves with popular literature and very comfortable sitting place.