O contributo das bibliotecas para a «vida do laboratório»: uma cartografia internacional teórica e prática

Objective. The need for access to scientific information, as an indispensable condition for the generation of new knowledge, places the information problem in a central role in the production and dissemination of science. In the relation between information and science, we questioned the place that libraries occupy. Design/Methodology/Approach. International literature on the role of libraries in scientific research was retrieved and analyzed. From a content analysis, the literature was grouped into five categories that form the theoretical framework. Given its relevance, special attention was paid to empirical work carried out in the United Kingdom, the United States of America, and Spain. Results/Discusion. It presented a bipartite structure -theoretical framework and empirical studies- that gives shape to the state of the art. In the first part, the dimensions converging to a theoretical definition of the problem of the role of libraries in scientific research are briefly presented. In the second part, we presented international work focusing particularly on empirical investigation regarding the support that these information systems provide for scientific research. Conclusions. Libraries occupy a place that is in deep reconfiguration. On the one hand, the generalized provision of information seems to render the role of libraries unnecessary, but on the other hand, libraries remain on their mission to add value, offer new services and products, and contribute to scientific development. The state of the art on the relationship between libraries and research demonstrates the robustness and relevance of this research line, and underlines the importance of empirical studies which allows an approximation to the relational complexity present in «laboratory life». Originality/Value. It is a systematic analysis of literature relevant to the topic, where it is built a dialogue between the theoretical and empirical dimensions, from the studies that dealt with the relationship between libraries and scientific research.