Reference Service is an important personalized service in the library and information centers. Traditionally, it is a one-to-one service provided by the reference librarian to users. But the present epoch is being transformed by the technology. Thus, with the progression of shifting technology the approaches of providing reference service in the libraries are gradually changing. Nowadays it is offered to the user in a fresh and more developed form called as "virtual reference service", also known as "digital reference service" (Mahrana & Panda, n. d.). Virtual reference is reference service commenced by electronic means where patrons employ technology (a computer or any other form) to communicate with the professionals without being physically present. The modes of communication often used in virtual reference include e-mail, instant messaging, chat, Voice-over-IP, videoconferencing, co-browsing etc. (RUSA, 2010). Virtual Reference Services (VRS) have high user satisfaction (Mu, Dimitroff, Jordan, & Burclaff, 2011). As libraries make more digital resources available over the web, virtual reference traffic is consequently expected to increase. According to Gray (2000a) more internet use is equal to more Virtual reference traffic. The present article aims to discuss the concept of Virtual Reference Services in contemporary libraries. It also assesses nascent modes of providing quality Virtual Reference Services. Further the chapter also discusses reputed Virtual Reference systems of select online Libraries.

The potential of digital technologies in safeguarding and preserving valuable assets have been established over time, predominantly in preserving our increasingly threatened heritage. Technological advancements in digitization and preservation aspects in the form of more sophisticated digitization gadgets have resulted in the practical implications of many digital preservation initiatives. The article discusses the concept of cultural heritage and need of digital preservation for managing and distributing cultural heritage collections through cooperative endeavors. It highlights the importance of incorporating technological advancements for managing effective and long-term cultural preservation projects. It points out various challenges concerning digital preservation initiatives for cultural heritage including financial, technical, policy guidelines, legal aspects and metadata concerns. The article further discusses some important digital preservation projects for managing Cultural Heritage and lists detailed features under each initiative for addressing various challenges.

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Purpose The purpose of this study is to analyze research output in the naturopathy field at the global level and to examine the various trends in scientific literature available on naturopathy using bibliometric analysis. Design/methodology/approach The data was collected from the SciVerse Scopus database published from 2000 through 2019. The search was conducted using Medical Subject headings entry terms, i.e. “Naturopathy” OR “Naturopathic Medicine” using the “Document” search option. The search results comprised of documents that had these above search terms in their article title, abstract and keywords. The retrieved documents were then analyzed concerning different parameters like the growth of publications, authorship patterns, productive countries and institutions, highly cited papers, top prolific authors, funding agencies and document types. Findings The results of this study reveal that a total of 1,099 documents were published during 20-year time span. The most preferred publication type is research articles 683 (62.14%). Germany, USA, Australia, India and Canada were the most productive countries in terms of the number of scientific documents. The findings also show that the most preferred journal in the field of naturopathy is MMW Fortschritte der Medizin, with 115 documents followed by Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine with 58 documents. In contrast, the journal BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine had the highest citations per paper (17.85). For the 20-year study period, the average value for the degree of collaboration was calculated as 0.57, indicating 54% of the total publications in naturopathy were multi-authored. The value of the collaboration coefficient (CC) signifies the levels of multi-authored papers. CC was highest in the year 2019 (0.55) indicating that the publications were contributed in collaboration rather than in isolation and the number of multi-authored/mega-authored papers outnumbered the single authors in the collection of all authors in the year 2019. Bastyr University, USA was the most productive Institution. Journal articles were the most preferred form of publication. Practical implications This study traces various trends in the research behavior and preferences of researchers in the field of naturopathy. It thus can be of immense help to identify strong areas in naturopathy research. Further, this study will help the librarians to identify the core/preferred journals in naturopathy.  Originality/value This paper makes an endeavor to carry an extensive bibliometric study that provides an overview of emerging trends in naturopathy research.

Open Archives Initiative Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) provides an application-independent interoperability framework based on metadata harvesting. It is an effective way of sharing metadata between gateway services. The chapter gives an overview of Open Archives Initiative and underscores development, structure, and basic working of OAIPMH for harvesting procedures. It also traces the emerging trends in the use of Open Archive Initiative-Protocol for Metadata Harvesting (OAI-PMH) by open access repositories to support interoperability among globally distributed information systems. The study was carried out by consulting the database of Directory of Open Access Repositories (OpenDOAR), which is an authoritative directory of academic open access repositories. The study observed growth in the use and application of OAI-PMH protocol by OA repositories at a global level. Growth in the number of OAI-PMH complaint repositories provides an ample justification for its distinction among varied protocols to be utilized for resource sharing in knowledge society. However, developing and underdeveloped nations need to be made aware of the benefits of utilizing the harvesting capabilities of this protocol. The study provides an opportunity to understand the astounding growing trends in the use of the protocol in different setups.