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The paper briefly defines the concept of social reading with special reference to its manifestation in the digital age. In that context, the Bookmarker application, created within the project Improving the User Experience in Public Libraries of Serbia Using the Bookmarker Application, is presented. The basic idea of this project was to create an innovative application that promotes a reading culture in Serbia. For all library and internet users, the application offers a new reading experience, a direct exchange of information about books and communication between users, the creation of virtual themed reading rooms, book rankings, comments or annotations of books or their parts, and the possibility of sharing content directly from the application to other social networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores activities of public libraries under changed conditions caused by the official announcement of the infectious disease COVID-19 pandemic, paying special attention to the work of the Public Library Bor during the lockdown and afterwards. Public libraries worldwide had to find a way to continue their work and to overcome fears, confronting contradictory information, as well as to make, often alone, hard decisions of what services to offer and how to deliver materials to users. Libraries were deciding on options ranging from minimal restrictions to the total lockdown. On the other hand, library users had to turn to online sources of information and services in order to satisfy their needs and interests, so that the paper also explores the effects of these new working conditions on the usage of digitized materials and virtual library services. The conclusion is that libraries should carefully evaluate their possibilities and resources, adjusting their services and programs to what people need the most. As the course of the pandemic is constantly changing, libraries need to focus on improving their virtual offers and finding the way to do so with minimum and tolerable expenses, having in mind that many public libraries in Serbia have already faced budget reductions and cuttings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper explores activities of public libraries under changed conditions caused by the official announcement of the infectious disease COVID-19 pandemic, paying special attention to the work of the Public Library Bor during the lockdown and afterwards. Public libraries worldwide had to find a way to continue their work and to overcome fears, confronting contradictory information, as well as to make, often alone, hard decisions of what services to offer and how to deliver materials to users. Libraries were deciding on options ranging from minimal restrictions to the total lockdown. On the other hand, library users had to turn to online sources of information and services in order to satisfy their needs and interests, so that the paper also explores the effects of these new working conditions on the usage of digitized materials and virtual library services. The conclusion is that libraries should carefully evaluate their possibilities and resources, adjusting their services and programs to what people need the most. As the course of the pandemic is constantly changing, libraries need to focus on improving their virtual offers and finding the way to do so with minimum and tolerable expenses, having in mind that many public libraries in Serbia have already faced budget reductions and cuttings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thanks to the rapid development of technologies for mobile phones and other portable devices (tablets, iPods, etc.), as well as the evolution of mobile applications, what was until recently a dream now it’s a reality. We can now take a virtual tour through libraries and museums and even glance inside their treasure vaults, browse digital editions of old and rare books, examine important historical documents or manuscripts, read scientific articles online, or simply work through pending paperwork from our homes or any other place, at any time of the day or even night. The aim of this paper is to examine different types of applications and their possible use in different library services. The main intention of this paper is to encourage libraries to transform their operations by following modern trends, having in mind that almost every library user today has a mobile phone and actively uses its applications. The first part of the paper is dedicated to different types of mobile applications and their characteristics, while the second part presents several examples of good practices in the use of mobile applications in different types of libraries, both in Serbia and abroad. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]