Knowledge Organization Systems migrating from traditional to digital library: users and uses of information in a scientific research library

Recently, with the introduction of newer and sophisticated informatics products and technology systems, the CNR Central Library has felt the need to manage advanced technology instruments in order to update the scientific community, main user of this Library, on the latest access modes to bibliographical resources; these modes are characterized by bibliographical data-base on CD-ROM running on INTRA-NET or bibliographical database available on the WEB. The intent is double: 1) search requests possible on the entire universe of technical-scientific matters, from Engineering to Physics, from Medicine to Biology, from Chemistry to Geology etc. 2) retrieval of the documentation in an autonomous and effective way. Moreover, the electronic bibliographical data-bases allow quicker and more precise searches on simultaneous years. The aim of this paper is monitoring how many K.O.S. (Knowledge Organization Systems) structures co-exist inside a traditional-digital library as CNR Central Library “G. Marconi”, and how traditional structures as Dewey Decimal Classification, Thesaurus, Authority Files and Subject Headings are still employed in the latest online data-base and electronic directories (IEEE, INSPEC Thesaurus , Ulrich’s, directories of electronic-journals and monographs etc…). This may lead to understand how much more worthy and tempestive for library users is the information retrieval on digital supports and electronic documents if compared to the traditional one on paper catalogues and repertories. Finally we’d wish to answer the question: in which terms the user’s ability to access, reorganize, and utilize this repository of information and knowledge is enriched by the capabilities of digital technology and how does it quickly satisfies his needs?