  We report the detailed study of the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) in a
dipolar-Heisenberg magnet LiGdF$_4$ using magnetization measurements performed
on a single crystal sample. Entropy variation on isothermal demagnetization
from the magnetic field up to 3 T is determined in the temperature range 2-10 K
for two principal directions of the applied field (parallel and perpendicular
to the tetragonal $c$-axis of the crystal). The MCE is found to be highly
anisotropic, with the cooling efficiency being up to twice higher at
$H\parallel c$. The results are nicely interpreted in the frame of a
conventional molecular field approach taking into account considerable
anisotropy of the paramagnetic Curie-Weiss temperature. These results are
compared to earlier studies of MCE in powder samples of LiGdF$_4$ [T. Numazawa
et al., AIP Conf. Proc. 850, 1579 (2006)] as well as with analogous data for
other well known magnetocaloric materials. Our findings may open new
possibilities to enhance the efficiency of magnetic refrigeration in the liquid
helium-4 temperature range.
