An Academic Library Model in the Creative Industries System of the Digital Age

Abstract

Information revolution has resulted in fundamental changes in the fields of technology, economy, science and education, politics, publishing industry, culture and arts, but also in the way people think and behave. Social awareness for more progressive education, and also the urgent response to new requirements of research community, has prompted the new way of information creation and dissemination, which is reflected in electronic publishing and scientific production in open access. The main goal of this paper is to define a model for building the academic library as the vault of organized digital collections. The digital library mission implies systematic acquisition and organization of digital collections, managing collections and ensuring long-term access for users according to pre-established rules. The future of digital libraries depends on the ability of self organization and transformation, in order to become the main centre of knowledge and distance learning, using complex software systems and constantly developing into flexible network structures. Digitization of the existing library materials, development of institutional repository, electronic publishing and organization of collections in open access, taking into account copyright regulations, should be in the focus of building a digital library. There are many significant digital library projects worldwide, but in Croatia, they are just starting. This article explores the possibilities of developing a model of the academic digital library that will be horizontally and vertically networked with other libraries, and thereby contribute not only to its own academic institution, but also to the entire creative industry on which it relies through its innovative activities and partnership with the economy.