From 1 January 2021 Šiauliai University will officially become a part of Vilnius University (VU). As the Seimas has approved the merge of the universities, on the first day of the new year VU’s Šiauliai Academy (VUŠA) is to be established in Šiauliai. This will also have impact on the libraries – as the Library of Šiauliai University will merge with VU Library, the latter will have a new division – Šiauliai Academy Information Centre of Vilnius University Library (ŠAIC of VU Library).
The merge of these two academic institutions will provide some new opportunities for students and researchers and will contribute to the enhancement of research in North Lithuania. Having a considerable experience in preparing teachers, it is hoped that Šiauliai University will help VU to become more efficient in addressing the most urgent issues of the public that are related to the education of future teachers and all other problems that schools are facing at present.
The Director General of VU Library Irena Krivienė expressed satisfaction with the growth of the university library: “After the merge, Šiauliai Academy Information Centre of Vilnius University Library will become an integral part of VU Library. All services provided by VU Library will be available for members of ŠA community as well. Šiauliai Academy Information Centre will maintain the same culture of providing information for users and will apply the same measures of organisational development that are or will be applied in the entire VU Library.” The director hopes that as Šiauliai Academy Library becomes a part of VU Library, it will successfully develop and work together, in corpore, while striving to achieve a common goal – to provide Vilnius University community with resources for science and studies as well as with a pleasant and modern working environment.
After the merge VU ŠA students and other members of the academy’s community will have access to many more digital information resources. As highlighted VU Library Information Services Department’s Director dr. Marija Prokopčik, Vilnius University Library subscribes to numerous databases that at present offer more than half a million electronic documents. The library is constantly offering access to tested databases; therefore, the library can supply access to a very large scope of documents. “Students of VU Šiauliai Academy will be able to use these resources on the same conditions as other members of VU community, having in mind that all these resources can be accessed remotely from any place. This is especially important as studies are carried out in a non-contact way”, said dr. Marija Prokopčik.
As the Director of Šiauliai University Library Aušra Mingailienė stated: “The renewed and strengthened library of ŠU, which has become a part of VU Library, will offer even more opportunities for readers. We are to become a part of the institution that has a considerable experience. A collegial and meaningful start of our collaboration might mean a successful integration into one of the oldest academic libraries of the Baltic states.” According to the director, acquisition and management of high-quality information resources for studies and research, systematic and consistent provision of services that would meet the aims pursued by Šiauliai Academy and the needs expressed by the academic community is to become one of the key activities of Šiauliai Academy Information Centre of Vilnius University Library that will have a direct impact on the quality of studies and effectiveness of research activities.
Šiauliai Academy of VU will provide a cycle of studies at the three levels – bachelor, master and doctoral programmes of studies. Students will be offered an opportunity to choose not only pedagogical, but also engineering, philology, economics and other studies. Study programmes will shortly be reviewed and assessed and some fields of studies such as information technologies are going to be enhanced.
Šiauliai Academy Information Centre in structure of Vilnius University Library
For more important information for students look in here.
2020-12-30