Recommendation System “Virtual Reference”

The recommendation system that can be used in information activities in order to provide users with comprehensive recommendations on access to full-text information sources relevant to information needs is presented in the article. The basis for creating this reference system was the database, which consolidates the archives of virtual libraries' references of Ukraine. The authors analyzed the functional possibilities of the developed recommendation system “Virtual reference” and presented its architecture consisting of the following modules: module Start crawling - is responsible for the automatic updating of data in the system with a certain frequency, by tightening links to full-text documents, web sites, blogs, related to the field of computer science and information technology; the Statistic module provides the ability to view statistical information about the number of records contained in the database and the last update of data; the Bibliography module provides the possibility to enter and correct data and metadata manually. With the help of a variant diagram, the processes of comparative functioning of the reference system “Virtual Help” and the processing of information about the sources are presented. With the help of options diagram, the processes of comparative functioning of the recommendation system “Virtual reference” and the processing of information about the sources are presented. The recommendation system “Virtual reference” has been tested as a system that supports the automation of processes for the ensuring of virtual reference to users based on the consolidation of information resources of the archives of answers of the virtual reference services of the Ukrainian libraries in the field of information technologies. This recommendation system is a convenient tool for workers of reference services in decision-making processes regarding the choice of information support algorithm for faculty members of Lviv Polytechnic National University.