Information, reference and document supply ‐ new priorities for national libraries
| Published date | 01 September 1998 |
| Date | 01 September 1998 |
| Pages | 366-370 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/01435129810220958 |
| Author | Marina Mihalic |
| Subject Matter | Library & information science |
Background information
In studying the position of libraries within a
given country, comparisons should be made
with libraries in other countries. Factors to be
taken into account include the historical
background, geography including climate,
density of population, political system, educa-
tional provision, means of communication,
industrial development, etc. (Rogers, 1984).
Therefore, I will begin with some general
information about Croatia.
The Republic of Croatia is situated in
central Europe. It covers an area of 56,538
km2and stretches from the Adriatic in the
east to the lower slopes of the Alps, and deep
into the Pannonian Valley. There are 5,740
km of coastline, including 1,185 islands, of
which 66 are inhabited (Croatia Handbook,
1997, p. 38). The Adriatic coastline is consid-
ered to be one of the finest in the world, sec-
ond only in Europe to that of Norway.
The territory of Croatia is divided into
three geographical regions: the Mediterranean
seaboard, the central mountain area of Gorski
Kotar, and the Pannonian plain. The most
densely populated area is central Croatia,
which includes the capital city of Zagreb.
With its population of 4,784,265 (census
1991) it is the twenty-fifth largest country in
Europe. More than half the population live in
towns.
Four universities have been set up in Croa-
tia: the oldest, in Zagreb, was founded in
1669; the University of Split, with nine facul-
ties, was founded in1974; the University of
Rijeka, with ten faculties, in 1973; and the
University of Osijek, with eight faculties, in
1975 (Hrvatski almanah 97, 1997).
The Croatian economy
One result of economic policy changes in
1996, which aimed to protect the stability of
the national currency, has been an increase in
the balance of payment deficit in foreign
trade. The government hopes this deficit will
be compensated by a positive balance of trade
from services, mainly in tourism, transit
services, port exploitation and various others.
The level of employment in the Republic of
Croatia, compared with the same 11-month
period of the previous year, showed a fall of
4.6 per cent. The gross domestic product per
capita in 1992 was 2,660 US$ (Croatia Hand-
book,1997, p. 42).
366
Library Management
Volume 19 · Number 6 · 1998 · pp. 366–370
© MCB University Press · ISSN 0143-5124
Information, reference
and document supply –
new priorities for
national libraries
Marina Mihali´c
The author
Marina Mihali´c is Head of the Information and Reference
Department at the National and University Library in
Croatia.
Abstract
Discusses the fact that national libraries are mainly
thought of as symbols of national pride but otherwise may
be considered to be incapable of meeting a nation’s
information needs. The maintenance of the nation’s
reserve collection of books was in the past, and still
remains, their principal task. Before we can study the way
in which a society regards its libraries, we have to consider
those elements which make up their infrastructure, and the
environment in which other services and products germi-
nate and prosper. The wealth of a country depends on its
economy; the fact that good information is needed for
industrial growth and for economic and social develop-
ment, gives added value to information and reference
resources, and the document supply services that a library
provides. Analyses the present situation concerning the
Croatian library infrastructure and considers future plans
for services that could be organised within the National
and University Library.
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