About us

The International Centre for Information Management Systems and Services (ICIMSS) was created by resolution of the Nicolas Copernicus University Senate on the16th of September 1997. The Conference of Higher Education Institutions' Presidents earlier supported the idea of the creation in Torun of this unit. The aim of ICIMSS is research and education in the introduction of modern technologies (computerization, digitisation, internet) and the management of cultural institutions, mainly libraries, archives and information centres. International and national cooperation on the preservation of Cultural Heritage is a key activity.

From 1997 to 2003 five courses of the graduate school were held, in which students from Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bulgaria, Croatia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Moldova, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Serbia, Hungary and Poland participated. Our students were mainly directors, vice directors and managers of personnel in large libraries, as well as archivists, staff of information centres, TV centres and lecturers. Intensive sessions at Torun (240 hours over 3 semesters) were supplemented by distance education assignments.

Course modules and participating lecturers:

• Information Technology and its Application (Czeslaw Jan Grycz (USA) Dr. Dincho Krastev (Bulgaria))
• Managing the Process of Change (Simon Francis (UK), Maria Sliwinska (PL))
• Digital Libraries: a Comparative Study (Prof. Derek Law (UK), Maria Styblinska (PL))
• Institutional Policies (Maria Sliwinska (PL), Chris Hagar (UK))
• Financial Management (Prof. Terry Weech (USA), Geoff Weston (UK))
• Electronic Publishing (Ed Valauskas (USA), Czesław Grycz (USA) William Terry (USA))

In addition to the graduate school short courses on management information and digitisation were held.

Since 2003 ICIMSS functions as a Scientific Association. Within its programme of activities is assistance for regional institutions with information on EU funding prepared by a team from the European Funding Information Office.

Research undertaken by ICIMSS is listed in the Projects section. Some of the results of ICIMSS' activities have been published.

A new training programme is currently being prepared.