INFLUENCE OF ELECTRONIC INFORMATION RESOURCES ON SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATION AND POTENTIAL CHANGE OF THE EXISTING LIBRARY PARADIGM.

Over the last decade, scientists' needs for quality information sources in printed and electronic form, required for carrying out teaching and research, posed new challenges to libraries and the existing paradigm of their work. Information needs of particular categories of library users are changing, and more research is needed to understand and meet those needs. The results of such research will possibly lead to a change in the existing library paradigm and to adapting the modes of their operation in an environment which is constantly altering under the influence of information and communication technology. This article concentrates on possibility of adaptation of libraries to the new environmental conditions, as well as their adaptation to the needs of particular user categories such as scientists. Libraries should develop new strategies in order to become institutions fully oriented towards learning (personal development of users, and their own development). Therefore, libraries' main goal in near future should be constant adaptation to new conditions, in order to meet information needs and requests, thus making their position in scientific community more stable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]