Services of Regional Universal Scientific Libraries: Problems and Approaches to Their Presentation on Websites

Abstract

Scientific libraries are active social institutions that promptly respond to the challenges of the external environment, changing preferences of readers and users, their needs for different library, information, socio-cultural demands in online and offline spaces, for self-realization of creative and educational potential. Among scientific libraries a special place is occupied by regional universal scientific libraries (RUSL), which take an active part in the formation of educational, cultural, scientific and economic potential of their territories; ensure the creation of a unified regional information and library space; provide services to the population taking into account regional needs and specifics of the region’s development. The projects reflected in the “IFLA Bank of Ideas”, “Library Creativity Bank”, on the Library Map of the World, in the final materials of the All-Russian contests of library innovations, international contests of marketing projects of IFLA libraries, and in the professional press testify to the innovative practice of the RUSL. The results of the analysis of the websites of 50 regional universal scientific libraries of Russia (the main innovators in library services in the regions) are presented, the purpose of which was to identify the problems of reflection of library and information and other services in the web space. The study analyzed free and paid services offered in online and offline modes and ranked their most common types. The results showed gaps in the presentation of library and information and other services on websites (lack of a unified approach to the presentation of services by type and a complete list of all library and information and other services, difficult search for paid services, lack of a section “Services” and visual support for the provision of additional services, etc.), as well as showed a panorama of opportunities to better reflect them for different categories and segments of users. It is concluded that the solution of the above problems will allow public libraries to raise the level of awareness of users and demonstrate the fullest range of stationary, non-stationary and remote services provided on a paid and free basis.