Technical Book Section	Serving readers

     Technical Book Section expresses the liaison between tradition and novelty. Tradition must not be considered something static. Launched in 1974 from the desire of separating the scientific books from the novels, the `Technical Book` Section of Mures County Library possess today 32 thousands volumes. We are the witnesses of the modernization of the information technologies. The Book will not disappear and the Library has more and more a role of mediator between tradition and innovation.
     Free access to the shelves does not only mean abandoning the readers among the shelves. Changing the mentality of the librarian from a simple observer into reader's guide is one of the priorities of our activity. The flow of readers, especially pupils and students, makes us intensifying the activity with the public by guiding the readers in using the catalogues, recommending the thematic shelves and windows, giving punctual information, organizing photo exhibitions in the Section's lobby. We have created and perfected an information instrument that few libraries from our country have: the analytic catalogue on subjects from electronics, electrotechnics, informatics, and car's construction. These combine tradition with modernity and encompass publications issued after 1975 up to the date. The catalogue values the content of the book and offers rapid information.
      In order to support the students with their essays, we are updating the analytic file `Personalities of Romanian and Universal Science and Technique`. The user is the starting point and also the arrival point of each activity. In this context, Section has diversified its activities for the users. Together with the traditional services - the alphabetic catalogue, the systematic catalogue, the analytic catalogue on subjects, the file `Personalities`, the catalogue `Novelties`, we are developing the modern services-data base. Information technologies determine the users to think over their demands of information. It can be noticed that the readers come to the library in order to seek information of a personal matter, not only on cultural or educational purpose. Library helps them to obtain the most varied information: legislation, work market, engineering, informatics, management, marketing, economics, plants cultivation, and domestic repairs. Information instruments help them with anything they may want to find out. More and more users consult the database, using CD Rom-s, and are familiar with the Internet. For these users, documentation with electronic instruments is more familiar than traditional documentation; such kinds of users represent a challenge for the librarians.
     Not only the new techniques are in a continuous change, but also the needs of the users. The future of the library depends on the new services offered to the beneficiaries. The librarian is not only a fine connoisseur of all the books, but a specialist in transmissions of data. He/she is an intermediary between the publications and the means of refinding them. A nice, competent librarian, willing to protect his occupation, is conscious that it is on his activity that depends the success in education and other areas, based on the information from the library.