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Academic Library System

Notes Deregulation

Deregulation reduces the legal constraints on private participation in service provision or
allows competition among private suppliers for services that in the past had been provided by
the government or by regulated monopolies. In recent years privatization and deregulation
have become more attractive alternatives to governments in developing countries. Local governments
are also privatizing by contracting out service provision or administration.

5.7 Functional Organization of Libraries

The Lithuanian Librarians’ Association was established in 1931 and operated until 1941 as a
voluntary and independent organisation bringing together the citizens of the Republic of
Lithuania. The activities of the organisation were impeded during the occupation period since
it was prohibited. However, it was re-established in 1991. The goals of re-established Association
were the following:
• to develop librarianship as a separate science;
• to strengthen the role of libraries in the society;
• to develop research work;

• to promote professional development and raise the level of professional expertise of
library staff;
• to make suggestions to the Government of the Republic of Lithuania and local authorities
regarding the improvement of library work; and
• to develop international relations with analogous organisations in foreign countries.

The Lithuanian Librarians’ Association is the organisation of natural persons that has 68
divisions all over Lithuania and combines over 2300 employees of various libraries—national,
state, academic, public and special. It makes 38% of all Lithuanian librarians. The Association
has been involved in close co-operation with the associations of research and public libraries
(both from counties and municipalities).
The supreme authority of the Association is the General Assembly that is organised once in
every three years. The assembly elects a chairman and a board comprised of 15 representatives
in total. It also approves a statute and operational programme for three-year period; the
revision commission is also elected. The Association conference is convened each year. The
elected board that also closely co-operates with various divisions and co-ordinates their activity
operates between congresses. The board is comprised of working groups responsible for the
work of research, public and school libraries, professional development and international
relations. A representative responsible for relations with seniors, i.e. longterm library employees
that are no longer employed in libraries, is also incorporated into the board. 80 % of Lithuanian
Librarians’ Association members are public libraries staff. They also have a decisive opinion
in this organisation because these libraries still encounter with the most painstaking problems
in the country.

Task What is the role of administration in the organization of library?

LLA initiatives

One of the most important initiatives of the Lithuanian Librarians’ Association was the Programme
on Lithuanian Public Libraries Modernisation for 2003–2013 approved by the Government of
the Republic of Lithuania aiming at:

50 LOVELY PROFESSIONAL UNIVERSITY