Editorial: “Digital services for scholarship innovation in academic libraries”

Citation

Tammaro, A.M. (2024), "Editorial: “Digital services for scholarship innovation in academic libraries”", Digital Library Perspectives, Vol. 40 No. 3, pp. 357-358. https://doi.org/10.1108/DLP-08-2024-149

Technological advancement has compelled academic libraries to modify their traditional services and routines by adopting emerging technologies to meet the changing information needs of users who are now more technologically inclined and prefer remote, timely access to information. A key feature of these digital services is that academic libraries address broader information management challenges at their universities.

The purpose of this editorial is to reflect on the development of academic libraries and the personalization of digital library services, using the articles published in this issue (40.3) of Digital Library Perspectives as a sample. Although the sample is small, it is significant because it covers different geographical areas of the world innovating digital services for scholarship.

An analysis of the keywords from the papers published in this issue reveals several dominant themes in academic libraries. Significant streams of research focus on cloud databases, digital content and collections, virtual reality, artificial intelligence, metadata and sustainability, information literacy, e-book awareness among international students, community libraries, minorities and linguistic identity and innovation and entrepreneurship.

Highlights from this Issue:

“Cloud Database Supported Virtual Herbarium Application.”

Alper Tunga Akın, Saliha Ünver and Kamber Can Alkiş from Turkey describe the library and related database of the Herbarium of the Faculty of Forestry of Karadeniz Technical University (KATO). KATO has developed a virtual herbarium with both mobile and browser access, providing panoramic views of the herbarium and visual and botanical characteristics of the herbal specimens. A user experience survey revealed that participants, including students, teachers, academics and forestry engineers, found the application easily accessible, simple, understandable and efficient:

“Exploring emerging technologies: librarians’ aware, challenges and ethical perspectives in Thai library contexts, with a focus on the metaverse.”

Subaveerapandiyan A., Abid Fakhre Alam, Sujin Butdisuwan, Amreen Taj and Sanjay Kataria investigate the awareness, interest and challenges faced by librarians in Thailand regarding augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR) and Metaverse technologies. Using a structured questionnaire distributed to Thai librarians from various types of libraries, the study used descriptive and inferential statistics using SPSS to understand the application of emerging technologies and the ethical perspectives of librarians:

Linking faculty research output and activities to sustainable development goals: opportunities for metadata specialists.

Marguerite Alice Nel, Pfano Makhera, Mabjala Mercia Moreana and Marinda Maritz from South Africa discuss the role of metadata specialists in linking faculty research outputs to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) within the field of veterinary science. Their case study highlights the benefits of creative metadata in organizing, communicating and raising awareness of the SDGs:

Internet search algorithms: use of metadata, literacy and algorithmic education in the human–computer interaction.

Efraín Alfredo Barragán-Perea and Javier Tarango from Mexico aim to help citizens escape the “filter bubble” created by Internet search engines. Their paper discusses the widespread ignorance about how search engines work and the operation of advanced search algorithms. The study clarifies concepts like filter bubbles, search engines and privacy policies, facilitating librarians in user training and information literacy courses:

Graduate students’ e-book awareness and usage at a public research university in the USA.

Denise A. Brush and Daniel G. Kipnis from the USA examine the awareness and usage of e-books among graduate students post-COVID-19. A survey sent to the university’s graduate students revealed insights into e-book usage across different academic disciplines, with recommendations for improving awareness:

Research visualization on cloud computing services in the field of information science and library science.

Nusrat Ali, Muhammad Naveed and Shakeel Ahmad Khan from Pakistan conducted a bibliometric study on cloud computing in information and library science. Analyzing 401 documents from the ISI Web of Science (2007–2023), the study highlights trends and impacts in this research area, valuable for those studying cloud computing in these fields:

Digital libraries for minor languages in India: frameworks for addressing absences in policy and governance.

Soni Wadhwa from India discusses the integration of small digital libraries for under-represented Indian languages and minority linguistic groups. These digital libraries not only enrich larger library systems but also preserve cultural heritage, addressing broader social issues of access:

“The puzzle of innovation and innovation strategies in Kenyan academic libraries.”

Fredrick Otike, Ágnes Hajdu Barát and Péter Kiszl explore innovation in Kenyan academic libraries. Using qualitative methods, including interviews and document analysis, they found that while innovation and strategies are still new concepts, libraries are gradually moving beyond traditional tasks:

“Open Science, Open Data, and Open Access infrastructure: interview with Tullio Basaglia.”

An interview with Tullio Basaglia describes how the CERN library supports the scholarly research cycle through innovative policies, activities and synergies between CERN offices and researchers, serving as a model for digital scholarship.

In summary, the articles in this issue demonstrate the diverse and innovative ways academic libraries worldwide are evolving to meet the needs of their users and support scholarship through digital services.