Services enabling remote communication of librarians with readers as an example of tools which support research labs of library users

Abstract

The goal of the paper is to present new forms of communication between librarians and library users, which encourage greater efficiency of the information gathering process (bothsubject-oriented, and connected with service organisation). The “ask a librarian” or “borrow a librarian” services are discussed, as well as subject guides and chatbots which can be used to reduce the time for obtaining basic information, unburden academic research offices from having to give basic technical information, and as a result to create the possibility of having longer sessions (of customers) with librarians, during which a deeper analysis of a particular subject by the reader can take place. Since we can assume that these services will be implemented in many libraries in the next few years, and their functionality will increase, attention has been given to the principles by which they work, the problems they might generate, and new functionality that libraries may gain by implementing themю