Dragana Jovanović
Biblioteka Matice srpske, Novi Sad
mrdraganajovanovic@gmail.com

No. 29 (November 2016), p. 67-74

The Role of New Media in Promotion of Libraries:
Attitudes of the Librarians in the Matica Srpska Library

Summary

The new media, defined as new ways of communication, based on the internet – primarily on the concept called web 2.0 – represent a great opportunity for promotion of library and information science. The role of the new media is especially important when it comes to repositioning of libraries in the public through contemporary communication channels. One of the key factors for implementing new communication paradigms in libraries are the librarians themselves. This paper presents the results of a survey on relation of the librarians in the Matica Srpska Library towards the new media. The aim of the paper is to provide information on the attitudes of the librarians towards the new media, in order to gain insight into how members of the profession understand the need to connect with the public and increase their visibility through modern communication channels, in the context of self-understanding and redefining the position of a library as an institution.
The results show that the attitude of the librarians in the Matica Srpska Library towards the new media is mainly positive. They respect the possibilities offered by the new media concerning the promotion of libraries. Despite the fact that the expression web 2.0 is not recognized by all the participants in this survey, one of the most distinctive characteristics of this concept, the interactivity, is considered very important. The employees of this library are ready to use the modern media in its promotion, but it is only one of the conditions required to make a successful presentation of the library through new communication channels. It is necessary to establish a framework that would include other relevant factors, such as strategic planning of cultural development at the national level, support of management in implementing new communication models, systematic approach to the realization of the objectives set, as well as the appropriate changes in the educational system.

Keywords:

public relations, digital media, libraries, Matica Srpska Library, librarians, social networks, web 2.0, communication

Submitted: 19th August 2016
Correction to the manuscript: 21st Septembre 2016
Accepted for publication: 26th Septembre 2016.

The Role of New Media in Promotion of Libraries: Attitudes of the Librarians in the Matica Srpska Library by Dragana Jovanović is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

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