Trendy at 70: New (old) services of the centre for scientific information

ABSTRACT

Purpose. This paper brings the overview of the current online services of the Centre for Scientific Information (CSI) of the Ruđer Bošković Institute. These services were available before the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak but also during the full closure of the libraries and the period of working from home. Approach. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Centre for Scientific Information (CSI), along with other libraries in Croatia, locked down its doors to the public on March 20, 2020. The library staff started to work from home. Thanks to the numerous online services (CROSBI, FULIR, SEND, etc.) which enable remote access to CSI’s services, the Center was more than prepared for the new mode of work. The working processes were well organized and the majority of the services were available to the end users. Findings. The Centre for Scientific Information was among the first Croatian libraries that adopted and introduced information technology into everyday work back in the 90s. The Centre has worked continuously on the development and implementation of the applications and services. Therefore, it was possible not only to provide all standard services to its users, but also to work on its further development. The unpredictable crisis situations during 2020 confirmed that this direction of development of libraries is nowadays necessary and unavoidable, and that the additional effort should be made for its further improvement. Originality/Value. The Centre for Scientific Information have responded success-fully to the COVID-19 crisis, and the services and practical solutions presented in this paper could be used as an example to other libraries facing similar challenges. © 2021, Hrvatsko Knjiznicarsko Drustvo. All rights reserved.