The university library within Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy

Abstract

Academic information space is seen as an element of educational environment to facilitate student social and professional adaptation. The students’ perspective of the information component of educational environment was studied at Russian State Agrarian University – Moscow Timiryazev Agricultural Academy in 2019–2020 as the pilot project. The role of the academic library in the life of university educational environment is analyzed. The long-standing characteristics of Zheleznov Central Scientific Libraries are discussed. The Library’s information products and external information resources (special databases, www-sites and webservers of leading agricultural institutions with the access provided) as well as the Library’s information services and factors to define professional information demands are discussed. The efficiency of collaboration between librarians and the faculty is emphasized. The role of the Library in educating information culture in specialists-to-be and influencing their satisfactory information behavior is characterized; the Library’s cultural and educational activities and events (lectures, arts exhibition, etc.) are discussed. The conclusions are made and prospects for developing favorable environment for students’ social adaptation and for educating professional competences are outlined.