Introduction
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 downtown location, it naturally atracted numerous readers very soon.
At the end of 1981, as part of the newly-constructed 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)
Mira Matić (2006)
Vesna Abadić (2014-)
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.
The status of the Republic of Serbia as a third country joining the Erasmus+ Program continues in the new 2022. call, which means that our institutions and organizations have the opportunity to fully participate in all parts of the Erasmus + program, as coordinators or partners.
The University of Kragujevac officially received the Erasmus Charter in October 2018, and it was renewed in January 2021> Erasmus Charter for Higher Education (ECHE)
International Projects Office of the University of Kragujevac is the constituent part of the Department of International Cooperation.
The main objective of the Office is to contribute to the continuous enhancement of the quality of education and scientific research of the University of Kragujevac through international cooperation and the implementation of international projects.
Erasmus+ Coordinator at The University Library in Kragujevac:
Marija Gordić
tel. +381 34 372-603
e-mail: mgordic@kg.ac.rs
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 reading, 10 places with free Internet access, a periodical reading room with 20 places, several storage rooms (depots) for storing publications, working offices for employees and University Gallery.
The active Library holdings total around 120.000 copies of domestic and foreign books, 3.500 copies of doctoral dissertations and master theses, defended on the 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 its users.
Following the progress of contemporary developement 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 online communications which are conducted via Internet, i.e. Academic network to which the Library is connected. In that way, a large number of databases are connected and 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. More than two hundred libraries have been connected via COBISS system so far on the territory of Serbia Republic and the number of the database users grows by each year.
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
University Gallery
The library building has the University gallery that was established in 2010. From its first days, the University gallery has been there as a representation of a new cultural stage in Kragujevac. All of the events that are organized in the Univeristy gallery are largely accepted not only by the audience of the University (students and employees of the University in Kragujevac) but also by all of the citizens of Kragujevac and other towns near it.
Every month, the offered programs are different in terms of activities and the audience can see or participate in many exhibits, musical concerts, and literary discussions. The University gallery represents a union of various arts; visual arts, music, and literature are combined to provide a different and authentic scenery. The artistic council consists of the University representatives in Kragujevac and the University Library in Kragujevac, the two branches continuously strive to organize, promote, and present scientific lectures, cultural and artistic creations of the professors, teachers, assistants, and the students of the University in Kragujevac. The goal of the artistic council of the University in Kragujevac is also to organize exhibits, concerts, literary discussions, and all the other forms of artistic or scientific creations for the acclaimed scientists and artists from Serbia and other countries.
The University Council consists of the University council for visual arts and applied arts, the University council for music and stage-performing arts, and the University council for science and literature.
Fortunoff Archive
Besides the archive at Yale University, the Fortunoff Archive makes its collection accessible at access sites worldwide. To request materials for viewing at an access site, follow the instructions for requesting materials listed in Search the Archive. Once approved, we recommend that you email the contact at the specific access site (Access Sites) in advance of a visit with any questions regarding hours and workstation availability. You are able to use the Fortunoff Archive In University Library in Kragujevac .