Repozytorium – magazyn dokumentów czy wirtualna społeczność?

A digital library as well as an institutional repository form some kind of a storehouse for electronic documents; they store electronic collections and make them available. However, it should be realised that the principles on which their functioning is based differ. The difference between these two forms is particularly evident in the academic environment. The author of this paper has made an attempt to define the potential role of institutional repository in building up the virtual community of a given academic institution and to formulate the answers to the following questions: who builds up and who manages such a community — the library or the academic institution? What features typical of the institutional repository allow building up the virtual community of a particular academic institution? Who is a virtual counterpart to a member of the faculty and staff from the academic institution. The experience gained in the establishment of a subject-specific repository and a questionnaire mailed to creators of other repositories will be very helpful in answering these questions