Peculiarities of the Digital Environment of the University Libraries on the Modern Stage

Abstract

The aim of the article is to single out and analyze the main components of the digital environment of the university library, as well as related to it advantages and demands to librarians. Research methods are based on general scientific principles of the theory and practice unity, the knowledge complexity and comprehensiveness, the applying of the system and structural approach, as well as analytical and synthetic scientific texts processing. Scientific novelty. The given in the article analysis of the digital environment of the university libraries and obtained results is a contribution to the theoretical background of the new generation forming process of the library establishments, which are oriented on the advanced technological potential of the digital epoch, that can strengthen their subjectivity in the context of communication non-linear model. Main conclusions. The research results testified the proclivity to the modification of the university library digital landscape under the influence of the technological evolution accelerated pace in the XXI century. In this article, structural peculiarities of the digital environment of the university libraries, that consists of “old” components (times of Internet revolution) and “new” ones (innovative 4IR), were analyzed. It is emphasized that its transformation and technological evolution in the XXI century is connected with the transition from the first ones to others. To “old” digital components belong OPAC, CD-ROM and flash-drives, and to “new” ones AI, Cloud Computing, blockchain, robotics and Big Data are related. The analysis of the digital components of the renewed environment of the university library proves that the usage of advanced technologies demand from the librarians to work on the development of requested skills, constantly improve practice in using tools and options that reveal their potential, form leading qualities and necessary experience of work in conditions of anthropo- and technospheres co-evolution.