The article presents the project Spatial Analysis of the public library network in Slovenia; the approach, related work, methods used, main findings, impacts, and transferability to other environments. The network of public libraries in Slovenia is quite well developed and consists of slightly over 1,000 service points, i.e., local libraries, their external service points, and bookmobile stops. Public libraries are one of the pillars that preserve the Slovenian language and enhance the local social life. The travel distance to the nearest library is highly important, even more when taking into account social gatherings, access to online databases, and 203 participation in educational and other meetings. Spatial analysis has been performed by using the methods of geographical information systems. A part of the project is also the development of a lightweight Web geodatabase/geoprocessing tool for the planning of library services. Library administrators could directly and easily use the tool for daily and strategic planning to analyze in detail the spatial level of the sociodemographic characteristics of the potential users in the vicinity. The findings have shown significant differences among regions, recommended improvements of the library network, suggested the refinement of the role of the library services according to the perceived needs of the local people, and confirmed the importance of the mobile libraries for rural and remote areas.

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The article presents a qualitative user study exploring information behaviour of graduate students. The study is conceptually based on Brenda Dervin’s Sense-Making Methodology. The information behaviour is conceptualised as a process. The author conducted 13 interviews using the time-line micro moment interview technique. Data were transcribed and then condensed using the ATLAS/ti program for qualitative analysis. The basic approach to the analysis was to compare the moments of sense making instances within the situation of the same actor and also a comparison of moments across situations of different actors. The characteristics of actors’ situations was described. The most intensive information activity of graduate students was found during the completion of their studies. The proposed model consisted of three successive types of gaps: topic selection gap, topic ignorance gap and literature collecting gap. The article also presents findings about the process of writing and information habits.

National and University Library established remote access to information sources in september 2004. The article describes implementation and development of the service. Library wanted to offer information sources to users wherever and whenever they would need them. First main evaluation criteria for software selection were integration with existing authentication system and second no need for intervention user side. The EZproxy software from Useful Utilities was chosen. Key step to implementation was establishing communication between software applications EZproxy and COBISS library automation system. Library needed to obtain licence agreements from publishers. Promotion campaign aimed to notify large number of users. Only users of National & University Library were able to use the service. Other users and libraries of Ljubljana University requested to authenticate by credentials of their library. Remote access service was developed further in order to enable authentication for other libraries. We needed to establish authentication and authorisation system and also upgrade and install the communication command procedure on different servers. The data about service usage are presented.

Purpose: The research attempts to provide an insight into the information world of the Slovenian countryside. It presents the first results of an exploratory study of information needs, information seeking habits and types of information sources.Methodology/approach: Brenda Dervin's Sense-Making Methodology was used as the theoretical basis for this research. 25 open structured interviews with inhabitants of a local community were conducted based on purposive sampling. Interview recordings were transcribed, summarised and analysed using the qualitative content analysis approach.Results: The analysis results in recognizing the types of gaps in the context of an individual, economic activities and in the context of a local community. Gap categories are described with regard to questions or problems and the ways of solving them. There are 20 categories describing gaps in the context of an individual, 17 categories which present economic activities – and 6 categories which pertain to a local community. Findings about information needs and the ways of seeking information stress the key role of information sources in farming and prevalence of interpersonal exchange of information and experts' opinion in the context of individual problem solving.Research limitation: The generalisation of results is not possible due to the sample size.Originality/practical implications: The findings contribute to understanding of information needs and ways of information seeking in the Slovenian countryside.