Digital library science as a new discipline? Setting up the problem

Considering the changes in technologies, the library scientists admit that information technologies impact significantly the library sphere and call for changing paradigms. Today, the scientific library community cannot but agree that that the issues related to computer-aided technologies application require specially focused examination and research within the library studies as well as specific methodology, tools, and a new terminology system. The library scientific community today is focused on the issues of e-libraries typology, theory of user services within the digital environment, theory of library information retrieval instruments integrated into the modern information space. The problem of the library economics in the circumstances of the digital economy is no less significant. The authors analyze the demand for theoretical substantiation and specific studies within the new discipline, namely “Electronic (or digital) library science”, review papers on the problem, and propose several subdivisions for the discipline of digital library science; they also attempt to reveal the new discipline’s interconnection with other disciplines.