THE ACADEMIC LIBRARY AS THE ORGANISATION: ASPECT OF INFORMATION CULTURE

During the last decade there were a lot of organizational changes in the academic libraries. The academic library become one of the leading divisions of the university in formation of information culture of students. It is obvious that academic libraries currently are caught up in a cultural and informational tsunami. The new global information-communication environment is formed very quickly. Modern ICT also is an integral part of modern academic library. These two main factors undoubtedly influences changes of classical schemes of organizational culture. The academic library nowadays is acting as educational change agent. Moreover, mass higher education, flexible delivery, student centred and problem based learning, information literacy and other graduate attributes, are accelerating curricular and educational change in progressive universities. Academic librarians need to be as partners for academic teachers and others in that change. The academic library directly takes part in educational process of university. It is clear that the universities should play the important role in human resource development to serve the needs of improving the efficiency and quality in all aspects of the people in the country. Such a mission can be solved only in very close participation of the academic library in educational process. The objectives of this study are (1) to study the basic concepts and levels of information culture, (2) to study the main criteria of the information culture in the academic libraries and related parameters affecting the development of the academic library to be a modern organization; and (3) to analyse practical aspects of display (expression) of the mentioned parametres of information culture. The main idea of this study is that in the academic library, as well as in other open organisation, it is possibly to create favourable conditions for effective formation of information culture. The mission of the university academic library must therefore move beyond excellence in information identification, acquisition, organisation, access and skills development. It should be described and asserted in educational terms. It is obvious, that academic library must continue to redefine own role within the teaching and research mission of the university. All necessary conditions should be created in order to guarantee continuous process of formation of information culture. Based on an example of the academic library of the University of Siauliai the basic directions of modernisation of functioning of library and effective ways of its participation in educational process are shown in the paper.