Research library
The libraries provide research materials for students and staff of these organizations to use and can also publish and carry literature produced by these institutions and make them available to others.
With the advent of technology, this has evolved to include CDs, DVDs, Ebooks, audiobooks and online research catalogues.
[9] Many great civilizations built libraries which contained knowledge and information that were accumulated over years, sometimes centuries, and from across regions.
[11] The library also contained scientific records and observations on topics such as zoology, mineralogy, and information on Ebla's business and tax issues.
The library contained around 30,000 cuneiform tablets written in multiple languages pertaining to scholarly texts, archival documents and religious materials along with some works of ancient literature.
It is the United States Congress' official research library and is the oldest federal cultural institution in the country, having been founded in 1800.
The library has offices abroad through which it is able to acquire and maintain materials that are not easily available through traditional acquisition methods.
[2] Research libraries also often provide patrons with basic technological equipment such as computers, scanners and printers to aid them in their work.
When the library is affiliated with an academic institution, librarians may even have quotas on how much research they must complete and how many papers they should publish.
Oftentimes, these librarians have to meet their quotas in order to be eligible for promotions or even tenure positions at the library.
Librarians' research can help to improve the level of service offered by the staff of the institution by increasing their knowledge of the investigative process.
They also need to ascertain what formats will be most suitable for the materials and the patrons, raise the necessary funds and obtain the rights to digitize the items.
This phenomenon began in the early 2010s and has been accelerated due to the COVID-19 pandemic when many libraries across the world were physically closed forcing patrons to rely solely on their electronic offerings.
[5] The first step the average person takes when they conduct research is no longer visiting the library but searching for information online.
[2] Patrons will obtain a basic understanding of their topic and identify the books or materials they need before ever setting foot in a library.
[26] Libraries are now required to have extensive digital collections which comprise electronic journals, Ebooks and virtual reference services.
[4] This can make it possible for libraries to offer resources that have a narrow appeal and a low demand but that could still be useful for patrons to access.
[27] Libraries are also required to be more efficient to meet both consumer demand and to keep up with continuing budget cuts.
One benefit of increasing digitization is that it enables greater automation of workflows within libraries which ensures that they become more streamlined.
