The Library Sector in Lithuania at the Beginning of the Twenty-first Century

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to provide readers with a snapshot of the Lithuanian library sector since the year 2000. The sector functions as a modern, open, user-oriented, and professional system comparable to other library sectors in Europe. The community of Lithuanian librarians is organized in several professional associations that help in developing different aspects of library work: cooperation, supporting and expanding library activity, and coordinating mutual initiatives. The legal foundations for providing access to information, and the institutions providing information and ensuring its preservation in various forms, are set out in the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania and a set of laws regulating library work. The Lithuanian Ministry of Culture is authorized to regulate state administration of all libraries in Lithuania. The library system consists of the networks of public libraries, academic libraries, school libraries, and special libraries. This paper presents the developments in each of these networks over the past fourteen years. In 2011, a “scientifically” derived strategic plan was developed, which marked a new turn in the management of the state library sector.