The Library and Information Center is a core department of the academy, dedicated to supporting academic and research processes and fostering moral and aesthetic growth among students. Founded in 1979 within the Shymkent branch of the S.D. Asfendiyarov Almaty State Medical Institute, the library’s initial collection comprised educational and scientific literature on pharmacy, donated by ASMI.
As the institution evolved—from an AGMI branch to a pharmaceutical institute, then a medical institute, and now an academy—the library expanded alongside it. Growth included an increase in students, the addition of new faculties, and ongoing improvements in educational and research processes, which demanded a broader range of library services and higher-quality service for readers. Starting in 1991, with the addition of a medical faculty, the library collection grew significantly in medical literature.
In 2000, the library moved to a new building annex, occupying the second floor. By order of the rector of South Kazakhstan Medical Academy (Order No. 73-p, October 6, 2008), the library was reorganized as the Library and Information Center in September 2008.
Today, the library consists of three main sectors, reading rooms, circulation desks (for academic and fiction literature), and an electronic reading room with access to local and remote information resources. In 2003, the library implemented the IRBIS-32 software, followed by an upgrade to IRBIS-64 in 2011, allowing comprehensive automation of library processes such as acquisitions, periodical subscriptions, cataloging, registration, barcoding, inventory, and maintenance of an electronic catalog. An electronic version of the Universal Decimal Classification (UDC) system aids in organizing literature. Barcoding of new and retrospective collections continues as part of the automation process, with work underway on an electronic record of resources for educational purposes.
The library’s electronic catalog includes several continuously updated databases: Books, Articles, Theses, Works of Academy Staff, and the Electronic Collection. Since 2006, the library has used the “Zan” database to provide access to full-text legal documents.
The library is equipped with 48 personal computers, 13 printers, 3 scanners, 4 copiers, a multimedia projector, video equipment, and barcoding tools. It operates a local network, has internet access, and uses email for communication.
The success of the library’s services is largely due to the professionalism of its staff, who work diligently to meet the informational needs of patrons. All library employees hold advanced degrees in library science, ensuring high-quality service for all users.
