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The paper presents the Trinity College Library in Dublin, the oldest library in Ireland. It was established along with the college in 1592, and it is the only library in the United Kingdom with the legal deposit privilege. Among other items, its holdings include the harp of King Brian Boru, a copy of the 1916 Proclamation of the Irish Republic, and the Book of Kells, an important work of Western calligraphy. The author of the paper points out the historical significance of the library, but also its innovative approach to services, including education and research within all Trinity College programs. Therefore, the Trinity College Library is considered to be a national treasure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper takes readers on a tour of the largest academic library in Finland – the main building of the Helsinki University Library, which is one of four branches specialising in art, law, theology, education and social sciences. The academic library is distinguished by its functionalist architecture that makes orientation easy while permitting flexible forms of study on an individual or group basis and respecting the accessibility needs of disabled users. It provides a variety of less common services on top of the usual library and information services. One of the most significant of these benefits is providing a variety of courses aimed at information literacy and information seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matej Hrebenda Slovak Library for the Blind in Levoča (SLB) has a unique position and mission by providing its services to the blind, visually impaired, and people with reading disabilities. Since 2020, it has also become the Slovak authority for Braille, as demonstrated by its publications, magazines, and calendars. SLB also provides access to a number of audiobooks and audio magazines and cooperates with other institutions trying to make their expositions accessible to visually impaired visitors. However, constant developments in the field of digital and supporting technology have led to the need to expand its portfolio of services. The paper explains the importance of Braille and tactile graphics and describes efforts of SLB employees to provide them to those for whom they are essential in terms of personal development and everyday life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign as well as Slovak libraries are constantly trying to innovate their services and thus become closer to their users. In this vein, the Public Library of Mikulas Kovac in Banska Bystrica introduced a service which respond to the need for contactless services. The paper is focused on the implementation and operation of a device that allows limitless book reservations and their pickups via bibliomat - the automated box which features an integrated library and information system. As a result of an increase in demands on the library's operation, the services of bibliomat are a prerequisite for effective communication between users and the library, without the necessity of visiting a specific branch during its office hours. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fourth industrial revolution is reflected in the way we work and communicate today, as well as in the demands that society places on us. Constant development of digital technologies and the general digitalization of society point to the growing need for the development of digital competencies in order to fully participate in what is happening around us. The paper introduces the event Bibliospheres 2023, which offered approaches to dealing with the aforementioned changes in the library environment. The organizers and participants of the event point to the fact that not only schools, but also libraries are gradually innovating their spaces to enable the general public to educate themselves via creative workshops and smartlabs. With the support of the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, libraries expand their equipment and portfolio of their services. It is a matter of linking libraries with practice via activities that are attractive as well as necessary for development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]