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The purpose of this paper was to assess the Web 2.0 competencies’ levels of academic librarians in selected libraries from two library consortia KLISC in Kenya and GAELIC in South Africa and how these competencies can be sources of empowerment for the effective provision of e-services. As service organizations, academic libraries face challenges similar to those in other service sectors. One of the major challenges includes that of providing not only quality print resources but also quality e-services. Globally, academic librarians use various Web 2.0 technologies to engage with their library users and colleagues and for their information work. Academic librarians are now, more than ever, expected to be empowered and build diverse voices, perspectives and arguments into library collections and services. Most of the youths (academic library users) in developing countries like Kenya and South Africa are heavy users of Web 2.0 technologies. This presents a challenge for their academic librarians who must augment their traditional library skills with Web 2.0 technologies for provision of effective e-services. This study explores the interconnections between librarian empowerment, traditional librarian skills and Web 2.0 competencies for effective e-services.

Survey method of research was used to conduct the study. Purposive sampling was used to select a homogeneous sample of academic librarians and libraries that use the Web 2.0 technologies. An online questionnaire with both closed and open-ended questions was used to collect data. The Web 2.0 competency levels were analyzed and presented using descriptive statistics. To achieve more robust findings and to illustrate the implications of Web 2.0 for librarian empowerment, the ATLAS. ti software was used to illustrate interconnections between librarian empowerment, traditional librarian skills and Web 2.0 technologies. The emerging codes and themes are presented in three network views.

The findings from the quantitative data indicate that the majority of the librarians have intermediate competency levels in Web 2.0 technologies. The findings from the qualitative data show that Web 2.0 tools and librarian empowerment can be used to illustrate interconnections in content collaboration tools, bookmarking tools and SNSs. Web 2.0 competencies can transform knowledge-sharing activities, augment existing authoritative information service, foster interaction and market information products and services. This study redefines librarian empowerment through competency in Web 2.0 tools and new roles for effective e-services.

This paper proposes that librarian empowerment through Web 2.0 competencies is essential in augmenting traditional library skills and in providing effective e-services. This manuscript describes original work and is a re-submission EL-08-2015-0143.R1 due to expired deadline in this journal. Both authors approved the manuscript and this submission.

Technological advancement has forced academic libraries to change their traditional services and routines by adopting emerging technologies to respond to the changing information needs of their users who are now more technologically inclined and prefer to access information remotely and in a timely manner. Smart technologies are the recent trends in academic libraries. This research aims to investigate the level of smart information service implementation at academic libraries in Jordan. It also aimed to investigate the correlation between the level of smart information services offered by the libraries and the level of digital competencies among the library staff.

This research is designed using survey design to collect comprehensive information from the study participants. A questionnaire was disseminated to 340 respondents, and 246 questionnaires were returned and were suitable for analysis with a response rate of 72.4%.

The results indicated a moderate level of smart information service offered by academic libraries, as well as a moderate level of digital skills associated with the advocacy of smart information services. The results also indicated a strong and positive relationship between the level of smart information services at the investigated libraries and the level of digital competencies among the librarians.

The findings will help other academic libraries understand how to respond to the emergent change in users’ information-seeking behavior by understanding their available human resources competencies and the requirement to undergo this emergent change.

This paper provides insights and practical solutions for academic libraries in response to global information trends based on users’ behaviors. This research was conducted in Jordan as one of the developing countries and hence it provides insights of the situation there. It will help academic libraries in Jordan and the region to handle and cope with the challenges associated with technology acceptance based on its staff level of digital competencies. The contribution of this research that it was done in a developing country where progress in the filed can be considered slow because of many factors, mainly economics, where institutions focus on essential library objectives, which are information resources development and databases subscriptions.

Rapidly growing academic libraries are the major consumers of the product of seven LIS schools in Pakistan. The changing environment of academic life demands new competencies in academic librarians. This paper reviews the literature on the competencies needed for academic librarians in the Asia/Pacific region and discusses the changing environment of academic librarianship in Pakistan. It provides a list of competencies needed for entry‐level academic librarians, first prepared on the basis of a literature review and, then, validated by 70 chief librarians of universities and postgraduate level colleges from the public and private sector. The validated list of competencies is compared with the curricula of LIS programs. The paper highlights the deficiencies in the curricula and their implementation and recommendations are given to improve the situation.

The purpose of this paper is twofold: to find out the perception of university librarians about the current and required competencies and to identify the current rank and to point out the benchmark for competencies of library professionals at public universities in Pakistan.

Quantitative research design is used for the conduct of the current study. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data. The Special Libraries Association instrument “Competencies for Information Professionals of the 21st Century” was used to design the questionnaire. A paired sample t-test is used to establish whether there is any noteworthy distinction between the current and required levels of skills. Inferential statistic was also used and independent sample t-test and ANOVA was used to identify the difference in perception on the basis of different demographic variables.

There is a significant gap between the perceptions of university librarians about their present skills and required skills. The present level of skills is lower than the desired level of competence. There is no significant relationship between the length of job (i.e. experience), grade and skills of academic librarians. But in the case of gender, male have a higher score on the current level of competencies while female have a higher score on the required level of skills.

The findings of this study are helpful for universities in the recruitment, management and training of their librarians on the basis of required skills. Furthermore, it will be useful for librarians in their career planning and continuing education and library schools to revise their curriculum in accordance with needs.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the views and capabilities of librarians for the implementation of Big Data analytics in academic libraries of Pakistan. The study also sets out to check the relationship between the required skills of librarians and the application of Big Data analytics.

A survey was conducted to gather the required data from the targeted audience. The targeted population of the study was Head/In charge library managers of Pakistani university libraries, which were 173 in total. All the respondents (academic librarians) were invited through an e-mail to respond to the survey voluntarily. Out of 173 respondents from higher education commission of Pakistan chartered university libraries, 118 librarians (68.2 percent) completed the survey that was finally considered, and after checking data, recommendation for analysis was made. To analyze the collected data, statistical technique Pearson correlation was applied using statistical package for social science version 25 to know the strength of the mutual correlation of variables.

The findings of the study show a strong correlation between the required competencies and skills of librarians for the implementation of Big Data analytics in academic libraries. In all variables of the study, the correlation was highly significant, except two of the variables, including “concept of Big Data” and “different forms of data.” The study also reveals that most of the respondents were well aware of the concept of Big Data analytics. Moreover, they were using a large amount of data to carry out various library operations, including the acquisition, preservation, curation and analysis of data.

This study is significant in the sense that it fills a substantial gap in the literature regarding the perspective of librarians on Big Data analytics.

The purpose of this paper is to reset the performance bar for the Caribbean professional through the identification and classification of core competencies and skills sets for academic librarians at The University of the West Indies (UWI), Mona Campus.

Competency documents published by various library profession organizations and academic libraries across various geographic regions were content analysed to identify the major skills and competencies of highly skilled professionals.

Core competencies selected for The UWI Mona Library are: first, uses professional knowledge and practice to lead staff and manage resources; second, identifies emerging trends and supports innovations; third, demonstrate willingness to embrace change and utilize best practices in service delivery; fourth, analyses situations for appropriate solutions; fifth, interacts positively and effectively with others; sixth, develops an environment that leads and manages change; seventh, manages and mentors staff; eight, sets clear goals and objectives while providing specific performance and feedback.

The competencies profile developed reflects the unique compositions of competencies required by academic librarians working in a twenty-first century, Caribbean, regional, academic/research environment.

This framework will effectively guide the exercises of employee selection and succession planning within the library organization. Ensuring that the best employees are selected augurs well for succession planning within an organization.

A competencies profile provides rationale for the provision of transparent employee selection criteria. The framework is intended to set meaningful professional development goals and align those goals with the vision, mission and objectives of organizations.

This paper presents the English-speaking Caribbean context for core competencies formulation and a listing of required competencies for The UWI, Mona Library professional.

As “teaching libraries,” many academic libraries are committed to teaching not only in classrooms but also at the reference desk. As reference has expanded to include digital modes of e‐mail and chat, reference librarians are prompted to consider approaches to teaching in these new reference venues in ways that are meaningful to the user. A promising approach to teaching through digital reference is the application of the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards. This paper presents some challenges and benefits of teaching via digital reference. Practical methods for promoting self‐directed learning by examining online instruction, and suggestions for effectively advancing a pedagogy based on the ACRL Information Literacy Competency Standards, are offered.

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the digital literacy skills possessed by librarians working in university libraries in Nigeria.

An online questionnaire was developed using SurveyMonkey to collect data from 111 librarians working in both public and private universities in Nigeria.

The study revealed the digital literacy skills that the librarians rated as very high and high, and those that they rated as moderate and low. The study also revealed the knowledge and competencies that they rated to be highly competent and competent, as well as also those that they rated to be neutral and not good. The librarians rated their knowledge of network and system security; ability to apply security software firewalls, filtering routers and ability to protect access to digital content by providing password or IP base access as neutral and not good. Overall, the study revealed that almost half of the librarians rated their level of digital literacy skills possessed to be moderate. Only few librarians rated their digital literacy skills to be excellent.

The findings will be helpful to librarians, information professionals, libraries and library schools. The results will inform librarians on the skills and digital competencies that are essential for developing and managing digital resources and protecting digital contents.

Findings will be helpful to explore the skills and competencies needed by information professionals and to act as a guideline for competency development and curriculum update in library schools in developing countries.

The purpose of this paper is to assess digital literacy skills possessed by library and information professionals working in university libraries in Africa.

Online questionnaire was developed to collect data from 214 librarians working in various university libraries in English-speaking countries in Africa.

The study found that librarians working in university libraries in Africa rated their database search skills, uploading documents to online platforms, skills in using different social media, sending and receiving e-mails skill, digital library development skills, skills in applying new technologies into library services, ability to create different file formats and ability to use open source software as very high. While, metadata development skills, and library website development skills were rated to be moderate and low. Overall, the librarians rated their level of digital literacy skills possessed to be moderate, and differences emerged between librarians in Nigeria and South Africa with regard to digital literacy skills possessed.

This study attempts to identify skills that are central to librarians working in university libraries. The study will be useful for trainers who want to arrange training for academic librarians in Africa and other developing countries. For some library schools, it may help them to review their curriculum in accordance with the required skills and competencies for academic librarians in the market.

Findings will be helpful to explore the skills and competencies needed by information professionals and to act as a guideline for competency development and curriculum update in library schools in developing countries.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the level of information literacy (IL) skills competency among university library professionals in Karachi, Pakistan and to address areas of concern.

An online survey was designed, using Google Forms, to collect data from 77 academic librarians working in 25 universities in Karachi, Pakistan. The questions covered six generic attributes: library systems, information resources, searching techniques, research support, IL and generic/personal attributes.

The results indicate that the librarians who were surveyed had good IL skills in information searching and locating information resources. However, the average of all survey responses was 54.17 per cent, with 12 of the 24 competencies receiving scores of less than 50 per cent, thus indicating a generally overall low level of IL competency in the workplace.

As the study was limited to universities in Karachi, it would be useful to apply the same methodology to other administrative units within the country. Further research is indicated on the potential impact of gender on aspects such as level of IL skills and motivation to enhance workplace competencies.

The authors have suggested a number of strategies, which would be applicable globally to any university library wishing to improve the IL skills competencies of its staff.

There have been no previous published, non-discipline-specific, research studies on the IL skills competencies of academic librarians in Pakistan.