As the only academic library in the Maltese Islands, the University of Malta Library represents the backbone of the diverse educational and research activities undertaken at the UM as well as a crucial element in the successful intellectual and economical growth of the Maltese society at large. Through a wide array of support services offered at both the main library and its six branches, the institution provides access to state-of-the-art facilities and top-quality scholarly resources, including print and electronic collections, and develops the users' ability to effectively identify, locate, evaluate, use and synthesize information.