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This article highlights the dynamic and evolving nature of libraries and the role of librarians within the changing landscape. It discusses how libraries have traditionally operated and how they have been impacted by 4IR and external factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study employed a mixed methods research approach, combining an online questionnaire to derive quantitative data and interviews to provide qualitative data. The follow-up interviews provided a comprehensive understanding of how academic librarians at the DUT library use Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to adapt to the evolving environment.

This paper reports that there was consensus that CPD empowers the librarians to adapt seamlessly to the dynamic library landscape. It equips them with the knowledge and skills to stay updated on the latest trends, technologies and best practices in their field.

The findings carry implications for the planning and executing of ongoing CPD programmes and activities across all academic libraries.

This study provides an insight into the results of the importance of CPD for librarians within a developing country in southern Africa.

This paper explores emerging technologies in higher education libraries indexed in the Web of Science core collection and Scopus for the periods between 1994 and 2024 (January 18, 2024).

Data from Web of Science (WoS) and Scopus databases were collected and combined using RStudio software. Once this was completed using RStudio, the combined Scopus and Web of Science Excel file was uploaded into Biblioshiny, an interactive web interface. The data was then categorized to illustrate contributions from authors, journals, countries and academic institutions across the globe.

Results and findings related to publication growth trends, annual growth, core journals, impact and productivity of authors, most cited documents, collaborations, network mapping and country contributions on emerging technologies and higher education libraries are presented.

This topic requires further exploration as academic librarians are fast becoming integrated into the teaching and learning agenda of institutions globally.

Higher education libraries and library schools to promote the teaching identity of academic librarians by helping them improve their pedagogical and digital skills for online teaching.

Library and information science schools need to fast track the integration of emerging technologies into the curriculum. Higher education libraries should consider the training of staff in order to keep abreast of emerging technologies. Library management must frame their policies and strategies in order to promote the use of emerging technologies in higher education libraries.

The current study is novel in that it explores emerging technologies and higher education libraries using combined data from Scopus and Web of Science. The topic of emerging technologies and higher education libraries is still developing and therefore is in its infancy. The research is useful for researchers, library management and library schools in the higher education sector globally.

The purpose of this paper is to report on bibliometric research on the activities and services offered by distance libraries that serve distance learning institutions.

The analysis of scholarly communication has always been a valuable tool for researchers and policymakers in order to understand trends, gaps and patterns in a specific field. In this paper, a bibliometric analysis has been applied based on a well-known bibliometric tool called “VOSviewer.” The articles that constitute the dataset of current research were drawn from two journals: the Journal of Library Administration and the Journal of Library and Information Services in Distance Learning.

The bibliometric analysis applied in distance libraries showed that the researchers in this domain are mainly introverts and need to prioritize engaging in the scientific research process over merely publishing good practices. Although there are a lot of libraries serving distance learning institutions (formal and non-formal), there is a notable lack of activity in the scientific publication field.

Distance libraries have played a significant role in supporting distance learning, and since distance education has become more important in the educational ecosystem, the analysis of its scholarly production would provide administrators, researchers and policymakers with insights for the next era of conventional libraries.

This paper aims to explore the role of libraries and librarians in promoting appropriate cyberethical behaviour among postgraduate students in Nigeria.

Using content analysis and a review of relevant literature, this study examines the challenges that librarians face in enforcing cyberethics and highlights the strategies that libraries can adopt to promote responsible online behaviour.

This paper identifies the lack of awareness among postgraduate students regarding cybersecurity risks and the need for training and resources for librarians as key challenges in promoting cyberethics.

This study recommends that libraries provide access to training resources and develop policies and guidelines to promote cyberethics among postgraduate students. Overall, this paper argues that libraries and librarians can play a critical role in promoting responsible online behaviour and ensuring the safety and security of postgraduate students in Nigeria.