The L. Kanishchenko library of the West Ukrainian National University is a structural unit of the university where sources of scientific and academic information are concentrated. Library is named after Leonid Kanishchenko, a Ukrainian economist, educator, public person, the first rector of the West Ukrainian National University.
The history of the library dates back to 1966, when a separate educational subdivision of the Faculty of Finance and Economics of the Kyiv Institute of National Economy was established in Ternopil. Since 1971, the library has been called the library of the Ternopil Institute of Finance and Economics, since 1989 – Ternopil Institute of National Economy, since 1994 – Ternopil Academy of National Economy, since 2005 – Ternopil State University of Economics, and since 2020 – West Ukrainian National University. On 29 September 2006, the university received the status of ‘national’. At the same time, the university library appeared in its new substantive quality [1].
Since May 2011, the TNEU Library has been operating in a new specialized building. The library users have a new reading room (80 workstations), a room for postgraduate students and teachers (16 workstations) and another modern room for electronic resources (45 seats). At the same time, a separate unit was created – a subscription service for scientific publications.
The library has a local area network. Since December 2002, the library has been using the ALIS UFD/Library information and communication system. The staff consists of 28 specialists.
In 2013, the University Library became a member of the International Consortium of Educational Institutions from Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania. The purpose of the membership is to establish multilateral cooperation, organize professional training and professional development of employees, implement large-scale research projects and maintain good neighbourly relations. The library joined the libraries participating in the cross-border universities network.
Taking into account the great contribution to the creation of the TNEU library made by the first rector of the educational institution, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Honoured Worker of Education of Ukraine, Academician of the National Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine Leonid Kanishchenko, the library was renamed the L. Kanishchenko Library of Ternopil National Economic University by open vote at a meeting of the Academic Council of the University held on 21 October 2016. In August 2020, due to the change in the name of the university itself, the library received its current name – the L. Kanishchenko Library of WUNU.
Directors
| № | Years | Director |
| 1 | 1967—1972 | B. G. Bagriy |
| 2 | 1972—1977 | V. D. Zhavoronko |
| 3 | 1977—1992 | L. B. Izofatova |
| 4 | 1992—2020 | К. Z. Voznyi |
| 5 | 2020—2021 | А. V. Panchuk |
| 6 | від 2021 | К. Z. Voznyi |
Structure
The library has the following structural units:
Department of Acquisition and Processing of literature;
Information and Bibliographic Department;
Information and Technical Department;
Lending Service Department
(3 subscription offices, 6 reading halls).
Opening of the new library building, 27 May 2011.
Collection
The library collection includes 685136 items. Among them: scientific works – 322921 items, teaching books – 344260 items, fiction – 22555 items. There are more than 140 thousand periodicals. As of 1 January 2024, the library’s institutional repository (DSpace) has 47279 full-text electronic publications [2]. All the materials are indexed, barcoded, and have the library’s ex-libris. Information about new acquisitions is systematically updated on the library’s website and posted on social media.
Information and Reference system
Since 2002, the library has been using a system of both traditional and electronic catalogues for the prompt search of documents. The active use of innovative technologies in the library’s work has led to a noticeable increase in the quality and service of information and bibliographic services. First of all, it has become more efficient and user-friendly. The use of the web version of ALIS UFD/Library, in particular such a resource as the electronic catalogue (EC), has significantly simplified the process of finding the necessary information. The Library’s EC functionally combines the search capabilities of its card analogues – alphabetical and systematic catalogues – as well as the systematic card index of articles. Since 2017, traditional card catalogues have not been used.
A virtual reference service is available on the library’s website [3]. It is a part of the library’s information service that helps the user to find the information about books, articles, and a list of references on a particular topic without physical visit of the library. The help is provided by a qualified bibliographer and is sent in the form of a personal response to the user’s email address specified during registration. The library has launched a service for electronic delivery of documents. This service provides an opportunity to receive an electronic copy of a printed publication.
In 2015, the TNEU library began a major software and hardware reconstruction of its own institutional repository. In previous years, the library carried out the relevant work using its own software and hardware. Due to the need to expand the library’s scientific and information presence in the world’s educational cyberspace and to increase the current citation indexes of TNEU scientists’ works included in our repository, in 2015, work began on transferring the resource to another software platform (DSpace). The repository is included in the world webometric ranking of institutional library repositories (Transparent Ranking: Institutional Repositories).
Activities
The library staff started their scientific and bibliographic work with the creation of card catalogues of the book collection in 1970. Later, the scope, forms and directions of scientific work were significantly expanded. Leading specialists of the ZUNU library participate in various professional events (international, national and regional seminars, webinars [4], scientific conferences on the organisation of effective library work). They regularly inform university teachers and postgraduate students, all stakeholders of the educational and scientific process on topical issues and problems, participate in sociological research, develop specially regulated documentation, and provide advice on improving the quality of the scientometric presence of university scientists in the global scientific space. In order to form a positive image of the university and the library, to improve the quality of the process of information support for the needs of users of library resources, a series of bibliographic indexes was launched, dedicated to the scientific and pedagogical activities of reputable academics of the university, individual institutes, faculties and departments. Among the compilers: L. Vashchyshyn, V. Hryskiv, A. Panchuk, S. Ivasyev, H. Kruhliak, N. Lizhanska, L. Oliinyk, N. Pisotska, L. Smakous, O. Fetsio, H. Filipovska.
In 2012, on the initiative of the library director, K. Voznyi, a project of a serial bibliographic publication, ‘Catalogue of TNEU Lecturers’, was launched. This series includes bibliographic descriptions of academic texts such as monographs, textbooks, manuals, and collections of scientific conferences, grouped by year. Information about bibliographic indexes and their full-text documents is regularly posted on the library’s website.
The library pays great attention to the socio-cultural area in its work, as the vast majority of library visitors are young people and students. The methods and forms of socio-cultural work of the ZUNU Library are diverse and manifest themselves through such activities as creative meetings, literary evenings, round tables, webinars, guest lectures, author projects, presentations, spirituality hours, volunteer events, etc. The library regularly organises thematic book exhibitions both in electronic format [5] and in various interesting university locations.
In July 2018, the library’s institutional repository was included in the global webometric transparency ranking TOP 1000. According to the results of the summer session of 2022, the library was ranked 96th in the world and 4th in Ukraine [6].
References
- Voznyi K. Scientific Library of the Ternopil Academy of National Economy // Ternopil Encyclopaedic Dictionary: in 4 vols: Zbruch Publishing and Printing House, 2004. – Vol. 1: A – Y. – P. 696. – ISBN 966-528-197-6. (in ukrainian)
- Panchuk A. V. Library of the Ternopil Academy of National Economy // Encyclopaedia of Modern Ukraine / ed. by I. M. Dziuba [et al. Encyclopaedia of modern. K. : Poligrafknyha, 2003. – Vol. 2: B – Bio. – P. 871. – ISBN 966-02-2681-0. (in ukrainian)
- Leading libraries of Ukraine [Text]: a reference book / compiled by. Dryhailo V.H., Shmelev E.M. – K. : Shmelev V.E., 2007. 152 p. (in ukrainian)
- Ternopil National Economic University. History of the personality’s achievements [Text]: Reference and biographical edition / edited by S. I. Yuriy, H. P. Zhuravel, M. V. Lazarovych, V. H. Demianyshyn, O. V. Bohonis, O. E. Homotiuk, R. M. Mateiko, O. V. Stadniichuk – K. : Svit supriuzu, 2006. – 335 p. (in ukrainian)
- Kryzhanovska, A. V. University library in the information and educational space: an overview of the main opportunities [Electronic resource] / A. V. Kryzhanovska // Traditions and innovations in the information provision of science and education: materials of the International scientific and practical conference of libraries of higher education institutions of III-IV accreditation levels [Simferopol, 22-24 May 2012]. (in ukrainian)
- Ternopil National Economic University: professionalism, prestige, progress / Scientific publication. – L. : Ukrainian Academy of Printing, 2016. – 496 p. (in ukrainian)
- From the past to the present (From the History of the Library of Ternopil National Economic University 1966-2016): a historical essay [Electronic resource] / Ternopil National Economic University, Library; compiled by. K. Z. Voznyi; introductory note by K. Z. Voznyi; editors: A. V. Panchuk [et al. 2016. 154 p. – Access mode: electronic version – ISBN 978-966-654-439-4. (in ukrainian)