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The article presents the electronic book, which is accessible on the Internet, with particularities and drawbacks that the present and future users and librarians may encounter.It also presents devices (such as scanners and hand-helds) and software required for reading and designing electronic books, as well as the details we should pay attention to when buying and using the above mentioned devices. Some of the most significant web pages dedicated to the selling and promoting of electronic books are also presented. The protection of authors’ works, distributed via the Internet and digital media, is gaining importance. In September 1999, Slovenia also joined the international agreement on the protection of copyrights. It is expected that electronic books will gradually become part of the collection of all types of libraries. Therefore, libraries will need appropriate technical equipment as well as trained personnel for the usage of this new medium.

The main goal of our research was to establish the extent to which recordings on magnetic tapes and optical discs were incorporated into library materials offered by public libraries, which are located in the area of the municipal community of Ljubljana.Using the statistical summary books, issued by public libraries, we gathered and analysed the accretion, stocks and borrowing figures of monographic publications,audio cassettes, compact discs, video cassettes and CD-ROMs. The findings show that monographic publications are still the fundamental material of public libraries. Among audio-visual media, video cassettes represent the most extensive collection, followed in number by compact discs, audio cassettes and finally CD-ROMs. The results of the analysis of borrowed library material are totally consistent with the above stated order.Quantitative measuring has also shown that the stocks of audio-visual materials do not reach the international standards for public libraries.

In public libraries non-book materials such as sound recordings, video recordings, compact discs and CD-ROMs are now numerous, outnumbered only by printed materials.In the article various instances of damages of the above mentioned media are described, as well as the criteria and procedures for eliminating non-book materials and the basic conditions for their maintenance.