Search

Objective. The aim of this paper is to highlight the organization of information and reference services in a special library, the Zagreb City Museum Library, which can also be considered as a personal librarian service due to the individual approach and method of information retrieval during communication with users. Objective. The aim of this paper is to highlight the organization of information and reference services in a special library, the Zagreb City Museum Library, which can also be considered as a personal librarian service due to the individual approach and method of information retrieval during communication with users. Results. The paper gives an insight into the organization of providing information and reference services of the museum library for the needs of the parent institution and the work processes taking place within it. Although the primary targeted users of this library are employees of the Zagreb City Museum, examples of opening up this type of library to external users are presented. An individual approach to the user is nurtured as the basis of the personal librarian service. Since collection, preserving and processing valuable materials is no longer suffi cient for the sustainability of museum libraries, it is emphasized how timely delivery of relevant information to users enhances awareness of the purpose, importance and value of these small special libraries. Originality/Value. According to the author's current knowledge, this paper provides the fi rst overview and evaluation of the personal librarian service in a museum library within domestic framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of the paper is, based on a survey conducted among users, to present how the Central Department of Science, Non-fi ction and Periodicals of Rijeka City Library solves complex information request from users and to gain an insight into user satisfaction with the provided service. Methodology. A pilot survey on user satisfaction with the services of complex information searches was conducted by using a survey method. An online survey questionnaire via Google form was used for data collection and conducted from September 19th and October 17th, 2022. The survey was answered by 60% of respondents, exactly fi fty-two of them. Results. The research results indicate that users are satisfi ed with the service of complex information searches in Rijeka City Library. They also emphasised diff erent expectations among diff erent types of users of a public library regarding the purpose of information searches and the need for individual approach to each user. There is also a noticeable change in users' knowledge of information sources and the need for continuous professional development of librarians in the fi eld. Social utility. The method of working on complex information searches in public libraries is not standardized, making this paper an indicator of the specifi city of operational methods of the Rijeka City Library. The paper can serve as a guideline for other public libraries on how to conduct complex information searches but it can also serve as a corrective measure for local improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The aim of this research is to raise awareness of the need for continuous and systematic development of library information services and information-referral services in Croatian libraries, as well as professional development of librarians in this fi eld. Since the information and reference services represent one of the foundations of work in public libraries, the importance of introducing changes in its operation is emphasized, driven by constant changes in society. Methodology. The research utilized a survey method using an online questionnaire. The research was conducted from October 11th to 17th, 2022, and the sample included sixty respondents providing the information service work and information-referral services in four Croatian public libraries. Results. The attitudes of the professional staff regarding the methods of providing information-referral services, education and competencies required for performing these tasks, as well as the organization of the information service, indicate the current state of work in the information service in the surveyed Croatian public libraries. The obtained results primarily express the need for systematic and organized continuous professional development at the national level and familiarity with new trends in information work with library users, materials and sources....Limitations. The sample included only four Croatian public libraries to establish a methodological framework for more extensive research and is therefore of an exploratory nature...Practical implications. The research can be applied to a larger number of Croatian libraries and has practical application in modernizing the organization of information services and developing new business models in their work.....Originality. The originality of the study lies in the fact that recent research on the attitudes of librarians towards providing information-referral services and the functioning of the information service as a fundamental aspect of the operation of public libraries is very rare and occasional.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. The goal of this paper is to gain a deeper insight into the phenomenon of providing assistance to students in the information seeking process from the perspective of students as library users who turn to librarians for help when performing tasks related to their coursework. Approach/Methodology. The paper presents the results of research conducted using the method of semi-structured interviews with twenty undergraduate and graduate students from fi ve Croatian universities. The focus is on the phenomenon of assistance in information seeking observed from a students' perspective, primarily using phenomenography as the research approach. Research also emphasises students' perspective on the importance of the information seeking process, their expectations of librarian assistance and diffi culties they encounter during the process. Authors use the results to create a context important for understanding the phenomenon. Results. The research results show that students recognize the importance of the information seeking process and believe that it helps them acquire new knowledge and skills. They expect a wide range of assistance from librarians - from help related to sources (referring to sources and relevant works) to help related to the information seeking process itself (teaching and advising). Students experience the help of librarians as: (1) support in seeking, (2) discovery of (useful) works, (3) "instant" help in seeking and (4) facilitation of seeking. The paper, after reviewing theoretical foundations, presents the obtained categories of student perceptions and experiences. Practical implications. Presented results can help librarians to understand and provide assistance to students in the information seeking process, as well as in planning the development of information services in university and other higher education libraries.....Originality/Value. This research provides insight into students' perceptions and expectations of librarian assistance in the information seeking process and how they experience such assistance, which has not yet been conducted in the context of Croatian higher education and university libraries. The categories obtained from this research open up space for further study of students' perspectives on the phenomenon of librarian assistance in the context of the information seeking process and, more generally, on services providing assistance to students in the information seeking process as part of the academic educational process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. This paper aims to consider the concept and perception of digital transformation on the example of the Bogdan Ogrizović Library and Reading Room in Zagreb, which represents one of the key focal points of the social and cultural life of the city of Zagreb. Approach/methodology/design. The paper presents the results of a research conducted using a quantitative research method with the help of a survey on a convenient sample of respondents. Results. The conducted research has confirmed the hypothesis that the users perceive changes in the library's services and holdings caused by the changes in information and communication technology, which is one of the manifestations and tools of digital transformation with regard to library's operations and the users' perception of the library. More than half of the respondents stated that they perceive the library equally in terms of library materials, space, and services. In each of these categories, the respondents perceive the library most through library materials, then somewhat less as a space, and least through services. The users see the library of the near future as an institution that provides a combined service: in digital and paper format, which indicates a balanced approach to library development and implies that the digital sphere will not abolish the paper one, at least not in the near future. The librarians are also expected to possess not only the professional knowledge, but also communication and IT skills. In general, the respondents are aware of the existing changes in the library, but they expect additional changes, new contents and services in the digital form. Limitations. The results of the research are limited by the number of respondents and the sample and cannot be generalized to the entire population of users of the City of Zagreb Library network (which also includes the Bogdan Ogrizović Library and Reading Room). Despite this fact, the research results are an important indicator of changes in public libraries under the influence of information and communication technology, which requires continuous research. Practical application. The results of the research can be applied when creating strategic and operational (annual) work plans of the public library where the research was conducted, as well as in other public libraries. Social significance. The results of the conducted research provide an insight into the work of one of the most popular public libraries in Zagreb, which contributes to better knowledge of the work of public libraries in general and their greater visibility in society. Originality/value. The paper presents the original results of the research on public library users in a period of great economic and social changes in which libraries also participate by (digitally) transforming their services, thus trying to attract new users, primarily the younger generation who are increasingly oriented towards digital media on the Internet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. The paper presents a chronological overview of the program activities that were carried out in the Podsused Library during seven years as part of the Podsused Cultural and Natural Heritage program, which has been involved in multiple collaborative relationships in the community in which the Library operates since its foundation. Approach/methodology/design. Using the qualitative method of content analysis, the first part of the paper provides an overview of the contemporary paradigms on the interpretation of cultural heritage and international documents on its role in modern society and importance for the local community that are applicable in the context of the development of the library program. The analysis includes scientific and professional literature in the field of librarianship, museology, and archival science. The second part provides a chronological overview of the projects within the Cultural and Natural Heritage of Podsused program that have been realized in the past seven years using the Library's documents and archives, public tender and report materials, as well as the published professional works on the program along with searching online sources. Results. The Cultural and Natural Heritage Program of Podsused was integrated in the local community from the very beginning. The local history significance of the projects is manifested not only in the choice of materials, but also in a wide network of collaborative relationships at the local level that contribute to a sense of common ownership. The involvement of the members and users of the library and the local community in collecting the materials and interpretation of cultural heritage have resulted in co-creation of the content of the program, and were carried out as part of the Library's activities. Originality. The practical contribution of the paper is the implementation of various local community involvement activities on the topic of heritage, which can be applied in other environments and contexts. It also shows the use of various participatory practices in the interpretation of local heritage with the purpose of its promotion, education of the local community on heritage topics, transfer of knowledge, strengthening awareness of the need to preserve cultural heritage, and encouraging personal creativity of users of all age groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]