Readers’ Information Requests: Dynamics and Trends (1990-2021)

Abstract

The purpose of the article consists in the analysis of information requests of users for printed editions from the fund of the main storage of the V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine, carried out in 2021, in the comparison of the results of previous studies (2008-2009, 2004, 1990s), tracking dynamics, determining trends regarding these requests, identifying prospects for further exploration in this direction, opportunities for practical application of research results, development of methodological tools and an information base for researching users’ information requests. Research methodology: Research of information requests of users wascarried out on the basis of a comprehensive approach using methods of statistical, comparative, and content analysis. The information base of the research wasserved by user orders for printed publications from the main storage fund of the V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine, responses to these orders, and data from predecessor studies for 2008-2009, 2004, and the 1990s. Data processing was carried out using Microsoft Excel. The scientific novelty of the study consistsin the analysis of users’ information requests for printed publications according to various parameters, the expansion of these parameters in comparison with the studies of predecessors, the identification of the dynamics and trends of users’ information requests, the determination of prospects for exploration in this direction and the possibilities of practical application of the research data. Conclusions: The information requests of users in 2021 for printed documents from the fund of the main storage of the V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine were analyzed. A comparison was made with the requests of 2008-2009, 2004, 1990s and Dynamics and trends in these requests are identified and their reasons are analyzed. In order to identify long-term trends in users’ information requests that reflect their information needs, periodic monitoring of these requests is necessary. The prospect of intelligence in this direction is the comparison of the analysis of information requests for printed publications, electronic documents, online resources and online requests from the Internet, as well as the study of information needs of users using questionnaires.The results of monitoring users’ information needs must be taken into account in practice when creating electronic copies of documents, when stocking the fund, and promoting it in order to increase the use of the V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine’s funds and interest in the library. The identified problems in the research methodology of users’ information requests are, first of all, the lack of an electronic database of user orders, responses, and issued documents.

Keywords

• information requests of users, information needs, monitoring ofuser orders, demand for publications, categories of users, main storage fund, v. i. vernadskyi national library of ukraine.