The main purpose of ______is to support the objectives of teaching, learning, research and services of the parent institutions

### Why this is right An academic library is organized to serve a college or university, so its collections and services are planned around that institution’s teaching, learning, research, and other work. The phrase “parent institution” points to this direct relationship: the library supports the institution it belongs to. ### The concept A **parent institution** is the organization a library belongs to and serves. An academic library supports students, teachers, researchers, and staff by providing books, journals, study spaces, research help, and access to information. The other library types are distinguished mainly by whom they serve and what their main purpose is. | Library type | Main users or purpose | |---|---| | Academic library | A college or university community | | National library | Preserving and collecting a country’s published heritage | | Public library | Serving the general public in a community | | Research library | Supporting advanced research, often with extensive specialist collections | ### The other options - **A. national library**: A national library mainly collects and preserves a country’s publications and cultural record. It may support research, but it is not defined by serving a parent institution’s teaching and learning. - **B. public library**: A public library serves people in a local community, usually offering general reading, information, and community services. It is tempting because it also provides services, but it does not primarily support a college or university. - **D. research library**: A research library provides extensive resources for in-depth research. It may be part of a university, but the term describes its research focus, not the broader institutional role in teaching, learning, research, and services. ### Terms - **Academic library**: A library serving a college, university, or similar educational institution. - **National library**: A library responsible for collecting and preserving a country’s published record. - **Public library**: A library open to and serving the general public. - **Research library**: A library with resources and services designed to support advanced research. - **Parent institution**: The organization that a library belongs to and supports. ### Remember When a question links a library’s purpose to a college or university’s teaching, learning, research, and services, think of an academic library.