How can a reader register with the Library?

To register as a reader of the Library, the following steps must be completed:

1. complete a Reader’s Registration Form;
2. present a passport or other valid identification document (students must present a valid student ID card) with a photograph, personal identification number and signature;
3. familiarise themselves with the Library’s Regulations and obtain a Reader’s Card at the Library.

Is online registration available?

Registration as a Library reader may be completed via the national E-Government Gateway. Further information is available here.

Please note that online registration provides access to the Library’s electronic resources only. To use the Library’s physical resources, it is necessary to visit the Library in person and complete a Reader’s Registration Form.

Is there a fee for a Reader’s Card?

No. A Reader’s Card is issued free of charge upon registration.

How long is a Reader’s Card valid?

The Reader’s Card is valid for six years. It must be renewed in the sixth year either in person at the Library or via the national E-Government Gateway.

May a Reader’s Card be used by family members or friends?

No. A Reader’s Card is strictly personal and may be used only by the person to whom it has been issued or by an authorised representative acting on their behalf.

Must a Reader’s Card be presented when visiting the Library?

Yes. Registered users must present their Reader’s Card to the librarian on duty at the Library.

May the Library be visited without a Reader’s Card?

Yes. Services that do not require reader identification may be used without a Reader’s Card. This includes attending events, taking part in educational activities and viewing exhibitions held on the Library’s premises. The Library’s virtual exhibitions may also be accessed remotely. In addition, by registering with the Library’s digital archive, digitised images of materials held in the Library’s collections may be viewed.

Is the Reader’s Card valid at other libraries in Lithuania?

No. The Reader’s Card is valid only at the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

May the Library’s services be used with a Reader’s Card issued by another library in Lithuania?

No. The Library’s services are available only to holders of a Reader’s Card issued by the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

Where can the Library’s Rules be found?

The Library’s Rules governing use of the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences are available here.

Readers authorised to use manuscript material may find the rules for using the Manuscripts Reading Room here.

Readers authorised to consult material held in the Rare Books Department may find the rules for using the Rare Books Reading Room here.

What should be done if a Reader’s Card is lost?

If a Reader’s Card is lost, the user must inform a member of staff at the Circulation Desk or contact the Library by email at aptarnavimas@mab.lt. A duplicate Reader’s Card is issued upon payment of 5 EUR and may be obtained in person at the Library.

Publications held in the Library’s Main Collection can be searched for and requested via the Virtual Library or by using the card catalogues available on site. All publications issued from 1996 onwards are listed in the Virtual Library. Some earlier publications not yet included in the Virtual Library may be requested only by visiting the Wroblewski Library in person and consulting the card catalogues.

During the renovation of the Library building, access to the card catalogues is available by prior arrangement. Please contact the duty bibliographer on +370 612 25 189 before visiting the Library.

All the material held in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Departments may be requested in person using the card catalogues available in the Tadas Wroblewski Reading Room. Manuscripts listed in the Virtual Library can be requested from the Manuscript Collection, while rare books and early periodicals can be requested from the Rare Books and Special Collections.

Can an item that is currently on loan be requested?

Yes. If the item you require is currently on loan to another user, you may place a request via the Virtual Library and join the waiting list by reserving the item. You will be notified by email once it has been returned and is available for borrowing.

How many items may be borrowed?

Users with borrowing privileges may borrow up to 20 items for a loan period of 30 days. Newly acquired or high-demand items may be borrowed for a shorter loan period. Loan periods may be renewed twice for a further 30 days each, provided the item has not been requested by another user.

Are all items available for loan?

No. Certain materials are not available for loan. This includes periodicals and serials, reference works and encyclopaedias, electronic documents, items supplied via interlibrary loan, books published before 1940, as well as high-demand or particularly valuable materials held in the Manuscripts and Rare Books Departments.

Where can requested items be collected?

Requested items are available for collection from the Circulation Desk (located on the ground floor of the new building) once an email has been sent confirming that the request has been fulfilled. Users with borrowing privileges may borrow up to 20 items.

How can borrowing privileges be obtained?

Borrowing privileges may be granted to individuals working in research, culture or education, to civil servants or public officials, and to other users with the permission of the Library Director. To apply, users must be registered with the Library in accordance with the established procedure and provide appropriate supporting documents (for example, a research institution employee ID, a diploma, an academic degree, a creative union membership certificate).

How long will requested items be held for collection?

Requested items are held for three working days. If they are not collected within this period, they are returned to the stacks or issued to the next user in the queue.

How can borrowed items be returned?

Items may be returned during the Library’s opening hours at the Circulation Desk (located on the ground floor of the new building) or placed in the book return box located in the courtyard by the new Library entrance on Tadas Wroblewski Street. The courtyard is open on weekdays 6.00–21.00.

Can borrowed items be returned outside opening hours?

Yes. Items borrowed from the Library may be returned via the book return box located in the courtyard by the new Library entrance on Tadas Wroblewski Street. The courtyard is open on weekdays 6.00–21.00.

Can someone else return a book on my behalf?

Yes. Items may be returned by another person, provided they are returned on time. Please note that the borrower remains responsible for the return of the items.

How can a loan be renewed?

Loans may be renewed by signing into your Library account via the Virtual Library. Renewals may also be requested by contacting the Circulation Desk by email at abonementas@mab.lt or by telephone on +370 5262 3678.

What should be done if a loan cannot be renewed?

A loan cannot be renewed if the item is already overdue or if more than seven days remain before its due date. Renewal is also not permitted if the item has been requested by another user. In such cases, the item must be returned to the Library.

Can a loan be renewed for a further month after the first renewal?
Yes. The loan period may be renewed for a further month, provided the item has not been requested by another user and is not overdue. If necessary, please contact the Circulation Desk by email at abonementas@mab.lt or by telephone on +370 5262 3678.

What should be done if an item is lost or damaged?

If an item is lost or damaged, the borrower must replace it with the same edition or with another item deemed equivalent by the Library, or pay the replacement cost. If it is not possible to supply an identical copy, the borrower should contact the Library to agree on an appropriate form of compensation.

Where can information about the Library’s subscription and trial databases be found?

Databases are electronic resources to which the Library subscribes or for which it has trial access for a limited period. During this period, Library users may access their content.

Information about the Library’s subscription and trial databases is available here.

May information from the Library’s subscription or trial databases be saved to a personal computer?

Only small amounts of material from these electronic resources may be downloaded or saved for personal research and study. The redistribution of such material to third parties, uploading it to the internet, or use for commercial purposes is strictly prohibited.

Can the content of all subscription and trial databases be found via the Library’s Virtual Library?

No. Owing to licence restrictions and technical limitations, not all subscription databases are fully indexed in the Virtual Library. The content from databases available on a temporary trial basis is also not included. For more comprehensive searching, users are advised to use the search platforms provided by the database publishers. Links to the Library’s subscription and trial databases are available here.

Which subscription and trial databases can be accessed from home?

Library users holding a valid Reader’s Card may access all the Library’s subscription and trial databases from home by connecting to the Library’s Virtual Private Network (VPN). To connect to the VPN, the FortiClient software must be installed and configured on a personal computer. Installation instructions are available here.

When connecting to the Library VPN for the first time, user details may need to be updated. If you are unable to connect, please contact donatas.ustinavicius@mab.lt, providing full name and the Reader’s Card number.

The EBSCO database package may also be accessed without connecting to the Library VPN. Passwords for access without the VPN may be provided on request. Please contact Donatas Ustinavičius by telephone on +370 672 02794 or by email.

Can e-books be read from home?

E-books can be searched for via the Virtual Library, the Lithuanian Academic Electronic Library, subscription databases and open-access resources. E-books subscribed to by the Library are available to registered Library users when connected to the Library’s VPN.

Where can full-text articles from international electronic journals be found?

Full-text articles can be accessed via the Library’s international subscription databases and through open-access journals.

The Library VPN is a remote access service that allows users to connect to the Library’s network without being physically present in the Library. This service enables users to access the Library’s subscription and trial databases, as well as other licensed electronic resources, from home or other off-site locations.

Users are advised to connect to the Library VPN when accessing the Library’s subscription and trial databases or other scholarly information search systems (such as Google Scholar) while off-site.

Connecting to the Library VPN while on-site in the Library is not recommended, as it provides no additional benefit and may affect the efficient use of network resources.

Instructions for installing the Library VPN are available here.

May a digital copy of a document be requested?

Yes. Documents are digitised by the Library’s Digitisation Department. To request the digitisation of material held in the Library, please complete a Copy Order Form and send it by email to biblioteka@mab.lt, or submit the online request form. Further information is available on the Copying Services page.

May material be photographed in the Library using a personal camera or a mobile phone?

Yes, but only limited parts of documents may be photographed. Please note that you must comply with the Rules for Photography and Filming at the Wroblewski Library of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences and must not infringe the provisions of the Law on Copyright and Related Rights of the Republic of Lithuania.

May information be printed or saved to a personal external storage device?

Yes. Printing is available from all computers designated for readers in the General Reading Room. Printing is subject to a charge; current fees are available here. Information may be saved to personal external storage devices free of charge.

Is Wi-Fi available in the Library?

Yes. Access to the Library’s Wi-Fi network is available to all registered users of the Library.

May personal laptops be brought into the Reading Rooms?

Yes. Readers may use their own laptops or tablets in the Reading Rooms.

Where can information about upcoming events at the Library be found?

While the main Library building is undergoing reconstruction, events and exhibitions are not taking place. Readers are invited to explore the Library’s virtual exhibitions available on the portal LMA Wroblewski Library: Virtual Tales. The Library’s Multimedia page also provides video and audio recordings presenting items from the collections, as well as lectures and talks by researchers from a range of fields.

Do Library staff carry out genealogical research?

No. Library staff do not undertake genealogical research on behalf of readers. Users may search the Manuscript Collections in the Virtual Library to check whether parish registers for the relevant locality and time period are held in the Library’s Manuscripts Department. A large proportion of these registers have been digitised and are available in the Library’s Digital Repository for registered users to consult online. Registers that have not yet been digitised may be requested via the Virtual Library and consulted in the Tadas Wroblewski Reading Room.

Is specialist assistance available for compiling a bibliography for academic work?

Yes. The Library offers paid bibliographic services. Further information is available here.

Is advice available on bibliometrics (publishing strategy, research evaluation, journal citation indicators, etc.)?

Yes. For bibliometric services and individual consultations, please contact Eglė Šegždienė (egle.segzdiene@mab.lt) or Audrė Trumpienė (audre.trumpiene@gamtc.lt). Consultations are available by appointment only.

Where can information on the indexing of scholarly journals published in Lithuania be found?

Information is available on the Library’s Lithuanian Scholarly Journals page, which includes details such as access information, website links, ISSN, publishers and the international databases in which each journal is indexed.

Where can newly acquired books be viewed?

New books are displayed in the General Reading Room and are also listed in the New Acquisitions collection in the Virtual Library. Annotations of newly acquired foreign-language books are available on the Library’s New Books page. Registered Library users may request required items immediately.