This idea, which at the time resided almost in the realm of fantasy, began to turn into something real with the development of technology. The computer became a tool of common use, and today, no one can imagine work in libraries without scanners, printers, and constant access to the Internet. In the “new,” automated library, the same walls remain, the stacks are still filled with books, and most of the same people work there. But libraries face different tasks and a different scope of services than they did 15-20 years ago. Julia Szczygłowska from the Main Library of the Częstochowa University of Technology rightly states that the evolution of the library is progressing towards a hybrid institution, combining traditional models of providing access to printed collections with more common materials in digital form: documents, databases, and electronic journals operating based on computers and computer networks. The library does not exist for itself, but for the readers and thanks to the readers. The answer to the question: what do they expect from it in the changing reality of technological development, cannot but must determine the direction of the institution’s activities. It is on the study of user expectations and the level of satisfaction obtained from their fulfillment that the scope of library services and the introduction of innovations, including technical ones, should depend.
Observing today’s students, one can conclude that they want to reach collections quickly and easily. In the rush of classes, they do not have time for laborious studying in the reading room and waiting too long for ordered items. They need scripts, books, and journals used for writing various credit, bachelor’s, and master’s theses immediately. Due to insufficient information, library readers sometimes did not know at all what was most attractive within its walls. What collections are its pride, what collections it buys. Of course, this mainly concerns the wealth of special collections, access to which in some libraries is often difficult due to the unique nature of these works or documents, and little information about them could previously be found only in directories and guides. Involuntarily, the question arises: why does a library need these collections if they are then kept in strictly guarded warehouses and safes, hidden from the eyes of readers?