Multimedia Products in Library and Information Service: Domestic and Foreign Experience

Abstract

User service by means of multimedia is an actual direction of library practice. Modern forms of interaction with the user have wide functionality, attract readers, form the image of an information institution and provide comfortable service conditions. The analysis of the experience of libraries in the creation and use of multimedia products allows the identification of main trends in the use of multimedia in library practice, studying the range of existing multimedia products, their features, advantages and typical errors. The purpose of the work is to study the foreign experience of creating and using multimedia products in servicing library users. In the course of the research, the following methods were used: analysis of the document flow based on the study of foreign professional periodicals, analysis of the websites of foreign national libraries, comparative analysis of foreign and domestic experience in presenting multimedia products on library websites. Foreign experience is considered on the basis of publications presented in foreign professional periodicals and analysis of multimedia sites of foreign national libraries. Multimedia products of domestic libraries are considered based on the analysis of the assortment presented on the websites of libraries of various levels and departmental affiliation. The description of the features of the implementation of multimedia products and their specific assortment is given. The analysis of publication activity on the problem under consideration and the thematic distribution of publications are presented, foreign journals with the largest number of articles on the research topic are identified. It is established that the issues of creating and using multimedia products are relevant not only for domestic, but also for foreign library practice. The interest of foreign authors in providing services in a remote format is noted. The creation and use of multimedia products in publications is mainly presented by the example of describing the experience of national libraries and libraries of educational institutions. The paper analyzes in detail the range and features of the implementation of multimedia products on the websites of foreign libraries in comparison with domestic library practice. The common types of multimedia products presented by foreign libraries and their difference from similar domestic ones are revealed. The forms of information presentation and additional features implemented in multimedia products are considered. It can be noted that the websites of foreign libraries do not reveal unique multimedia products that are not typical for domestic library practice, at the same time, a number of features in the presentation of information and the species assortment are noted.