History
February 16, 1922 University of Lithuania was established in Kaunas ( On June 7, 1930, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the death of the Grand Duke of Lithuania Vytautas the Great, the University of Lithuania was granted the name of Vytautas Magnus University).
January 1, 1923 University academic library was opened.
Library premises: 1923 m. – A. Mickevičiaus St. 37; 1926 m. – V. Putvinskio St. (the building hasn’t remained); 1929 m. – K. Donelaičio St. 20.
Library directors: prof. Vaclovas Biržiška (1923–1944); prof. Augustinas Janulaitis (1944–1946); Vincas Ruzgas (1946–1948); Stefanija Užkurytė (1948–1950).
Reading rooms: in 1923 – 40-seats students’ reading room; in 1929 – 100-seats students’ reading room and professors’ reading room; in 1931 – faculty reading rooms.
Number of employees: in 1923 – 1; in 1924 – 2; in 1927 – 6; in 1930– 20; in 1939 – 21 and 4 apprentices.
1923–1944 The Lithuanian Institute of bibliography operated at the Library.
1934 J. Tumas – Vaižgantas museum (library, furniture, pictures) was established.
1940 Library departments in the faculties of Philology, Medicine and Technology were opened.
On July 16, 1940 Faculty of Theology / Philosophy was closed.
On August, 1940 by the resolution of Soviet occupation authorities Vytautas Magnus University was renamed Kaunas University.
In summer of 1941 the Provisional Government of Lithuania returned the name of Vytautas the Great to the University.
1943 the German occupational authorities closed the University and occupied Library premises.
1944 activities of the University and Library were renewed.
On July 1946, when the university was put under the authority of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Soviet Union, its name was changed to Kaunas State University.
On September 1, 1949 the Faculty of Philology was transferred to Vilnius University.
1950 University was reorganized into Kaunas Polytechnic Institute and Kaunas Medical Institute. Library stock went to the libraries of the Polytechnic Institute, Medical Institute, Vilnius University, the Institute of the LCP (b) Central Committee, the Institute of the Lithuanian Language and Literature, the Academy of Sciences, Kaunas Public Library, etc.
On April 28, 1989 the act of re-establishing Vytautas Magnus University was proclaimed at a conference of Lithuanian and diaspora scientists.
On July 4, 1989 the Supreme Council passed the law reestablishing the university.
On September 1, 1990 Vytautas Magnus University Library was reestablished.
Central library premises: in 1990 – S. Daukanto St. 28; in 1998 – K. Donelaičio St. 52;
Lending departments and reading rooms: in 2005 – 3 lending departments, 9 reading rooms (449 work places).
Number of emploees: in 1990 – 2; in 2000 – 40; in 2005 – 49.
Library directors: Ramutė Mačikėnienė (1990–1993); Norita Zinkevičienė (1993–1995); Janina Masalskienė (1995–2006).
1991 Library of Informatics and Natural sciences was opened (Vileikos St. 8), in 2020 it was moved to VMU Agriculture Academy library (Universiteto St. 10, Akademija, Kaunas r.);
1991 Foreign Languages Reading room was opened (Laisvės avenue 53), in 1993 it was moved and Foreign Languages textbooks lending department was opened (K. Donelaičio St. 52), in 1998 it was already a part of Central lending department (Daukanto St. 28);
1993 Reading room of periodicals was opened (Daukanto St. 28), in 1998 it was moved to new premises (K. Donelaičio St. 52), and in 2006 to Vaclovas Biržiška Library;
1993–1996 Reading room of Lithuanian studies (K. Donelaičio St. 52);
1994 Reading room of the Faculty of Catholic Theology was opened (Laisvės avenue 53), in 1999 it was moved to premises of Priest Seminary (Papilio St. 5), in 2016 to Vaclovas Biržiška Library (K. Donelaičio St. 52);
1995 the implementation of a computer complex library system CICERO (Danish firm “Dantek”) was started;
2000 an integral library system ALEPH 500 (Israel firm ExLibris) is installed;
2000 Mykolas Römeris Law Reading room is opened (S. Daukanto St. 28);
2001 Aleksandras Štromas Political sciences Reading room is opened (S. Daukanto St. 25);
2001–2008 Mykolas Biržiška Professors’ Reading room (K. Donelaičio St. 52);
2002 Social work Reading room becomes part of the Library (K. Donelaičio St. 52);
2003 the Great Reading room (K. Donelaičio St. 52) was named after professor Vaclovas Biržiška;
2006 „Akiračiai“ bibliography was published / Vytautas Magnus University Library, Lithuanian diaspora institute; [compilers Irena Poderienė, Eglė Montvilienė, Rima Raišytė]. Vilnius: Versus aureus, 2006. 325 p.;
2007 Library website was created, the first virtual exhibition was prepared;
2007 the database of VMU scientific publications and the information system of electronic documents of VMU master theses, doctoral dissertations and their summaries were launched;
2008 Č. Sugihara House Reading room was opened in the premises of the centre for Asian Studies (Vaižganto St. 30);
2009 submission of VMU study and science works to Lithuanian study and science works e-documents information system (eLABa) has started;
2010 13 526 Lt (3 917 Eur) and nearly 300 books were donated by University students to the stock of philosophical literature;
2011 Library of Kaunas Faculty of Academy of Music and Theatre became a department of VMULibrary – Music Academy Library (V. Čepinskio St. 5);
2013 prof. Leonas Gudaitis office and reading room was opened (K. Donelaičio St. 52);
2014–2019 University Publishing operated in the structure of the Library;
2014 modern system for item self-service of loan / return, based on radio wave technology (RFID) was installed;
2014 new specialized library for Law and Social Sciences faculties was opened (Jonavos St. 66);
2014 Vaclovas Biržiška Library was reconstructed (architect Guoda Zykuvienė);
2015 Music Academy Library moved to new modernized premises (V. Čepinskio St. 5);
2016 new Library for the faculties of Economics and Management, Political Sciences and Diplomacy was opened (V. Putvinskio St. 23);
2016 Sugihara House Reading room stock was added to Vaclovas Biržiška Library, thus forming Asian Book Space;
2017 Library of Economics and Management, Political Sciences and Diplomacy was named after prof. Leonidas Donskis (V. Putvinskio St. 23);
2019 Research management information system (Current Research Information System, CRIS) VMU CRIS was launched;
2019 library of Aleksandras Stulginskis University and library of Lithuanian University of Education Sciences became departments of VMU Library – Education Academy Library (T. Ševčenkos St. 31, Vilnius); Agriculture Academy Library (Studentų St. 11, Universiteto St. 10, Akademija, Kaunas r.);
2019 Leonidas Donskis office was established in Leonidas Donskis Library (V. Putvinskio St. 23);
2021 library services platform Alma (ExLibris) has been installed, which replaced integral library system ALEPH 500 (Israel firm ExLibris);
2022 new (7) version of University research management system (VMU CRIS) has been installed;
2022 Library central repository was reconstructed (area 788 sq. m, length of the shelves 4525 m).