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•   The history of the library

•   The history of the library building (the architectural monument)

THE HISTORY OF THE LIBRARY

The Central Library of Science and Technology (CLSC) was founded on 13 August 1957 by the decision of National Economy Soviet of Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic.

The publication collection maintenance of the Light Industry and other reorganized Ministries became a base for the Library collection maintenance. The primary function of the Library, which remained the same up to now, was to supply the industry specialists of the Republic with the technical and economy literature. As early as within the first year of the activity 114 000 copies of printings were accumulated, the catalogues were began to be arranged, “Naujos literatūros biuletenis” (Bulletin of the New Literature) was issued in several series, the lists of the recommendable bibliography were started to be compiled as well as the literature exhibitions were initiated.

Judging from the archival documents, it was the time when establishing of the libraries in industrial enterprises became an issue. In the year of 1960 the resolution on establishing the libraries in the enterprises exceeding 1000 employees was adopted. CLSC was charged to be a methodical leader of these libraries.

In 1959-1960 the branches of the Library in Klaipėda, Panevėžys and Šiauliai were established. Later, after the activity of science and technical information in Lithuania had expanded, the branches in Marijampolė (in 1964), Kaunas (1970) and Alytus (1974) were established as well. All these branches of the Library as well as the libraries in the large factories were the constituents of the information service. The branches of the Library in these cities matured into the nurseries of the technical clerisy, science and culture. The readers were able to receive foreign periodicals, which were so hard to find at those times. The periodicals used to be sent to all the branches by so-called “circular mail” so that all the specialists could get them. The system of this kind has been well serving the purpose so it is still practiced nowadays.

In 1968 the centralist accumulation and arrangement of the publications in all the departments and branches of the Library were introduced. This new development formed a background to the new cumulative catalogue of the Library and its branches. Since 1973 the individual record of the books has been simplified as the inventory procedure was abolished. Therefore, the way of the book to the reader was substantially shortened.

In the 1960’s the collection maintenance of the printings increased significantly. Since 1967 the retrospective description collection maintenance of the inventions in the Soviet Union was started, as well as the complements of the descriptions of the inventions from the former democratic Republics and the patent documents from the Western countries. The attention was also focused on formation of collection maintenance for other special documents: standards, specifications, norms, industry catalogues, folders and reference books. The major part of these publications was received recorded in the microfilms. The rapid growth of the special documents collection maintenance was related to the reorganization in the industry management. The Institute of the Science and Technical Information of Lithuania was appointed to ensure the supply of patent and normative documentation to the industrial enterprises. Being a subdivision of the institute, the Library was striving for these objectives as well. Peculiarity of the Library and its subordination also caused some specific goals, which were not typical for other libraries, such as responsibility for providing false information. (For example, special documents are to be controlled and corrected adding all new amendments).

Being the youngest among the greatest libraries of Lithuania, the Library was one of the first to introduce the department of science implementation. The first proceedings were related to the analysis of the readers’ needs and theoretical aspects for accumulation and arrangement of the printings. The subsystems for the “Periodiniai leidiniai” (Periodicals) and records of collective subscribers’ service were developed. In 1981 the National Interdepartmental Joint Committee of the Libraries affirmed the “subject coordination accumulation programme for the United Republican Information Fund of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic”. 14 largest libraries of Lithuania under 6 Offices became the participants of this programme. The programme focused on the improvement of the accumulation of books, periodicals, non-published documents and information publications as well as on the reduction of the duplicates and increase of the usage effectiveness in the Republic. An exhaustive voluminous theoretical project was carried out, which was supervised by Ž. Jackūnas, the head of the Science Implementation department.

Yet in 1965-1968 it became obvious, that rapidly expanding Library was short of space. The depositories of the printings were located in the basement, stores, and some of the departments were allotted the premises in the Information Institute of Lithuania. In 1970 The Board of the Ministers suggested the decrepit building in the Giedrio str. (Šv. Ignoto str. at present). This building dates back to 16 century and has had a great number of owners, faced many rigors and was badly devastated. The planning procedures started in 1970 (by E. Purlys) and lasted for 4 years whereas reconstruction took another 12 years. In 1987 all the departments of the Library had a housewarming already in one building.

From the very beginning of its existence, the Library was focusing on bibliographical activity. The implementation of the thematic queries was coordinated with the specialists of the subject departments in the Information Institute of Lithuania. The mainstream topics were: economics, industry management, construction, ecology and etc. The topic of retrospective bibliographical indexes was also coordinated with the subjects performed in the Institute. In 1992 by mutual agreement, this procedure was terminated. Presently when planning the topic of thematic indexes, the main guide is determined by the topical issues in the economy of Lithuania. In 1965 the lists of all the received periodical publications were compiled, and since 1970 the indexes of periodical publications of Panevėžys, Šiauliai, Klaipėda areas as well as the indexes of periodical publications of Kaunas city libraries have been compiled as well. The bibliography of the economy of Lithuania has been released already for three decades. There have been issued four indexes covering the period from 1940 till 1992. Presently the material is being accumulated for the 5^th index (1992-2000). This project is undoubtedly of great value as it covers an extended period of the economy of Lithuania.

The promotion of services and the collection maintenance of printings was always of great importance for the Library. The thematic exhibitions have been livened up by audiovisual showings; the slides have been presented by the specialists. Having moved to the new premises the Library acquired the galleries specially arranged for exhibitions and possessed the produced original stands. Large thematic complex exhibitions take place in these galleries as well as the expositions of the artworks and presentations of the original collections.

After Lithuania had regained its independence, the most significant changes took place in the field of printings accumulation. Up to then, all the applications used to be carried out in the institutions of Moscow. In 1991 the Library managed to contact and establish regular communication with business partners in the West and to develop the system of payments. The number of exchange partners increased. In 1993 a huge shipment with German national standards (DIN) was received from Germany Institute of Standardization and under the agreement with the then Service of Standardization, the Library has contracted to distribute printings of this institution: the national standards of Lithuania, their indexes as well as the other documents. With a help of State Patent Bureau close relations were established with Patent Offices in foreign countries, consequently 25 agreements on exchange of patent documents were signed. Eight of these countries: Denmark, Japan, Canada, Poland, Norway, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland are constantly sending all their patent documents and thirteen of them: Ireland, Austria, Estonia, Czech Republic, Greece, the USA, Yugoslavia, Monaco, New Zealand, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and Hungary are supplying with their patent periodical. In 1993 accumulation of the newsletters from the Information Centers was practically finished.

After the experience of the libraries in foreign countries had been explored, in 1990 fee-paying services (services provided for the enterprises and organizations under the contracts) were introduced. A fee was charged for unconventional library services: copy making, sophisticated factographic and thematic queries, information search in databases, supply with periodical printings under the interim application, provision of normative documents and the like.

Since 1992 the number of readers–businessmen (especially entrepreneurs) has increased significantly. They have been interested in information on prices, statistical data, import normative documents, commercial magazines, market surveys, addresses of the companies and the like. A Business Information Sector was established, containing the directories of the companies’ addresses from all over the world, telephone and telefax books, customs rates, publications on division of goods, all the “Compass” type catalogues, the catalogues of the international organizations ant etc.

Special attention was accorded to the modernization of the work processes and to the build-up of new workplaces. Since 1992 a new book databases and since 1994 the bases of companies’ catalogues have been started to be accumulated. On the grounds of these bases the newsletters were started to be published. A new computerized service system enabled to receive operational statistics on all the forms of services.

In 1995 a first version of the Library Internet portal was presented in the Internet.

In 1996 all the computers in the Library were connected into the local network comprising at that moment 12 workstations, 1 data server, 1 printing server. The received charity consignment with computer equipment enabled to equip the workplaces in the subsidiaries. The subsidiaries were also able to use a new book databases. Since the year of 1997 the local computer network was connected to the Internet.

In 1997 the Library joined the project of Integral Information System of the Libraries (LIBIS).

In 1998 a filling subsystem was mastered and the records for LIBIS summary cumulative catalogue were started to be framed and rendered.

In 1998 the Information Institute of Lithuania (IIL), the establisher of the Library in 1965, was liquidated. Considering the policy and the prospects of the Library, the traditions of the collection of maintenance formation, as well as the experience of the neighbouring countries (their Republic Science and Technology Libraries) the decision was made to switch under the regulation of National Patent Bureau. It was planned to focus on accumulation of the industrial property documents as well as on increasing the activity in information field in all the regions of the Republic using the branches of the Library. To this end in 1999 the Patent Information Center (PCI) was established in the Library.

In 1998 the Library managed to carry out the project, which lasted for several years, and the premises of the Library were adapted for the needs of disabled visitors. An access to the main entrance and to the premises on the first floor: lobby, readers’ catalogues, common reading room, exhibition gallery, sanitary room, was made for the visitors in the wheelchairs.

By 2004 other LIBIS subsystems were also introduced: accumulation, ILL, readers’ service, bibliography analysis and the possibility to book the publications from the joint Library collection maintenance via the Internet.

The Library has taken part in several local and international projects (“Socrates Grundtvig 2”, “Nordic-Baltic Industrial Heritage Platform”, “Window to the Future” and others), which also facilitated the work computerization processes, stimulated education activity, resulted in issuing of the new information publications and helped to develop the qualification.

Thanks to the close contact with the European Patent Office (EPO) the Library received databases and computer equipment for the development of the Information Centers in Lithuania.

As the number of the electronic information sources increased significantly (the licensed databases, legal, business and other information in CD discs were subscribed) and striving to satisfy the readers’ needs for Internet access, in 2003 an Electronic information reading room was arranged.

The Names of the Library

1957-1971 - Central Library of Science and Technology (CLST)
1971-1991 - Library of Science and Technology of the Republic (LSTR)
 Since 30 April 1991  - Lithuanian Technical Library  (LTL)

The Directors of the Library

In 1957            - A.Dambrauskas
In 1958            -  G.Samuolis
In 1958-1987   -  S.Brazaitis
Since 1987       -  K.Mackevičius 

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