History of the Library
In March 1948 the Medical Academy was established in Rokitnica Bytomska, where the Main Library was established in July of the same year. With the transformation of the Medical Academy into the Medical Academy of Silesia, the Library changed its name to the ŚAM Main Library. Its organiser and first director was Dr. Marian Wolańczyk (1948-1961). In 1953, a Branch of the Main Library was organised in Zabrze, which in time took over the basic tasks and functions of the Main Library. The collections serving mainly the students of the first two years remained in Rokitnica.
In the years 1961-1975 the ŚAM Library was headed by Dr. Franciszek Szymiczek. During his tenure in 1964, the role of the Main Library was taken over by the newly established centre in Katowice, which has existed to the present day. The library in Katowice, which has fulfilled the function of the Main Library from the beginning, satisfied the library and information needs of the academic community. In 1975, the library and information network of the university consisted of the Main Library, its two branches in Zabrze and Rokitnica, and 65 clinical and plant libraries.
From 1975 to 1998, the director of the ŚAM Main Library was Dr. Alfred Puzio. He made an invaluable contribution to the creation of a functional organisational structure for the ŚAM Main Library, its branches and faculty libraries. In accordance with the new concept of the library network, he started and carried out the organisation - in all the major centres of the University - of large libraries with a staff of one or more.
Between 1999 and 2009 the Library was headed by Dr. Jerzy M. Dyrda. As part of the Library, he prepared a bibliometrics team and led the introduction of a citation programme for University staff publications that was innovative in Poland. He established the Centre for Documenting the History of Upper Silesian Medicine and Pharmacy, preparing the concept and substantive basis for a computer database of the same name. He implemented an integrated library computer system Aleph in the Library. Organiser and co-organiser of several scientific conferences on librarianship and the history of medicine and pharmacy in Upper Silesia.
On 20 June 2007, with the change of name of the university, the Library was renamed the Library of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice..
In the period 2011-2025, the Library was managed by Ewa Nowak, M.A., who undertook measures aimed at modernising the library centres, both in terms of facilities and services. She carried out renovations in the Branch Libraries and a general overhaul of the building in Katowice at 14 Warszawska Street, to which the Main Library was moved in 2012. She established cooperation with the nationwide NUKAT catalogue. She acted as coordinator of the POL-on system at the University. She contributed to SUM signing an agreement in a partnership project of eight institutions ‘Polish Platform of Medical Research: a knowledge and research potential management platform’. She intensively promoted the Library, e.g. as part of nationwide actions (Night of Museums, Night of Libraries). Co-organiser of the 31st Medical Library Issues Conference.
History of the Medical University of Silesia in Katowice
Historic names of the University
THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE LIBRARY IN GRAPHICS BY MARCIN STEUER
Rokitnica Bytomska
Katowice, 15 Poniatowskiego Street
Katowice, 14 Warszawska Street