On October 13, 2023, the National Library and the University of Gdańsk signed a cooperation agreement. Thanks to the signed agreement, both libraries will work in a joint catalogue environment.
The implementation of the Alma system and the cooperation of the libraries in the so-called network zone aims to spread the idea of real-time co-cataloguing according to unified cataloguing rules (using the Descriptors of the National Library) and, consequently, to accelerate the implementation of library processes. An important result of the implementation is the search engine katalogi.bn.org.pl, which constitutes the Combined Catalogues of the National Library, the Jagiellonian Library with all the institute libraries of the Jagiellonian University, two voivodeship libraries - in Kielce and in Lublin, the University Library in Toruń with all the specialist libraries of the Nicolaus Copernicus University, the Library of the Catholic University of Lublin, the Library of the Wrocław University of Technology, the Library of the Ossoliński National Institute, Tadeusz Różewicz Public City Library in Wrocław, the Library of the Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw, the SGH Library in Warsaw, Cyprian Norwid City of Elbląg Library, the Library of the International Cultural Centre in Kraków, the Main Library of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University, the Emilia Sukertowa-Biedrawina Voivodeship Public Library in Olsztyn, and 112 poviat, city and municipal libraries from the Świętokrzyskie, Łódzkie and Lubelskie voivodeships. This currently totals 37 million units stored in the combined libraries. The extensive cooperation of libraries made possible by implementing uniform rules for cataloguing collections also means wider, faster and more transparent access to information for all book readers and Internet users.
The University of Gdańsk Library is one of the largest and most modern academic libraries in Pomerania and Poland. It supports the University's research and teaching activities by providing up-to-date information and making resources available in desktop and online formats.
As a result of the implementation of the system at the University of Gdansk Library, the Combined Catalogue will be enriched with information on nearly 1.2 million volumes of books, over 358,000 volumes of journals, and approximately 195,000 units of special collections. During the work carried out at the system implementation stage, more than 200,000 unique bibliographic records were identified, which will supplement the Combined Catalogues resource once the implementation is complete.
The Library of the University of Gdańsk collects universal collections with particular emphasis on the disciplines practised at the University of Gdańsk and on issues related to the maritime sector. Particularly valuable is the collection of old prints, e.g. from the area of old Prussia, including rare works published in Chełmno, Braniewo, Oliwa and Elbląg, as well as works by persons connected with the Gdańsk Academic Gymnasium. The Library also has a unique manuscript collection related to Pomerania and Kashubia, documents and materials concerning Pomeranian-Kashubian organisations and personal collections concerning prominent figures connected with the region. On the other hand, the UG Library's cartographic collection includes antique plans of Gdańsk, maps of Prussia and German and British navigation maps from the early 20th century. The UG Library's holdings also include an extensive collection of documents related to the democratic opposition of the 1980s. It includes periodicals, non-serial prints and pamphlets, including posters and calendars.
The National Library will provide training for the University of Gdańsk Library staff in the use of the Alma system, the cataloguing of publications from particular disciplines, principles of editing and selection of BN Descriptors, the Universal Decimal Classification and record deduplication, and will participate in the process of implementing the new system.