Content Features of Local History Resources of Libraries in the South of Ukraine

Abstract

Due to the comprehensive use of information and communication technologies, there are changes in the information needs of local history content. The current audience’s readership demand encourages the expansion of information support, digitalisation of information, and an increase in local history content in the electronic segment. The aim of the article is to analyse the content of local history resources of libraries in the south of Ukraine and highlight the features of its formation to satisfy the readers’ needs. The research methodology includes the content monitoring of official websites, electronic libraries, and libraries’ weblogs of Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Odesa regions, as well as the review and analytical method of studying the existing theoretical heritage on the research topic. The scientific novelty is to highlight the features of the formation and diversity of content of electronic local history information resources with a focus on satisfying readers’ requests since users of local history documents have recently shown an increased interest in documents on the latest data carriers. Сonclusions define the role of local history electronic resources of libraries in the south of Ukraine in the region’s information space, as well as further prospects for their genesis and development. It is emphasised that one of the priority areas of local history activities of libraries in the formation of regional identity is the joint activity of library institutions with cultural, educational, research, archival institutions, community initiatives, and organisations. It is noted that the intensive development of digital library projects in combination with the study of local history information needs opens up additional ways to implement the tasks of libraries to ensure wide access of users to unique local history content resources and play an extremely important role in the information space of the region. The article offers suggestions for improving the digital content of local history in combination with the study of local history information needs.