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The purpose of this paper is to explore key issues involved with opportunities, challenges, and future developing trends of delivering dynamic and distributed web‐based academic library information resources, services, and instructions for library users in the digital age.

Based on the typical web‐based, three‐tier client/server architecture, this paper explores ten key issues how to leverage quality library user services in the digital age: roles of academic libraries; funding support; information resources; information access; information services; instructions and trainings; impacts of cutting‐edge technologies and emerging technologies; web contents management and knowledge base; assessment and evaluation; and Librarians. Also discussed are the next‐generation web‐based client/server library information architecture and services in the foreseeable future.

With the rapid development of the internet and the world wide web, information exchange and information distribution can be transformed either by disparate formats or by dynamic channels. Knowledge, competence, and skills cannot follow up with the rapid advances of science and technologies. Many library users need assistance to access, locate, convert, synthesize, and evaluate information effectively and efficiently. It is very imperative for libraries and librarians to design, develop, enhance, implement, and deliver high quality user‐centered information services, resources, and instruction at the fingertips of library users.

Target readers who include librarians, instructors, trainers, consultants, managers, IT specialists, executives, and other professionals who are involved with developing and delivering distributed library user services via the internet will find this article of value.

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.

The purpose of this paper is to comparatively study the library and information services provided by three academic libraries – Baku State University Scientific Library, ADA University Library and Information Services and Khazar University Library and Information Center – located in Baku, Azerbaijan. Various types of library services are examined in terms of funding, acquisition and technical equipment support issues. Also, different subordination conditions (public/private) of the universities help to better understand the current position of academic libraries in different entities.

Most part of the conveyed information was obtained through review of related literature, libraries’ annual reports and personal communication with the directors of the academic libraries, to look for similarities and differences in provided library and information services. The results of the study are comparatively described through multiple tables and charts.

For improving services it is necessary to develop paid forms of library and information services, maintain various training possibilities for library staff in modern librarianship areas, increase the variety and number of public and outreach activities.

As the findings of the paper suggest new forms of library services and activities, it is necessary to continue the topic in further studies to develop practical methods and applications for local library conditions.

The paper can be accepted as the first comparative study of the library information services in academic libraries of Azerbaijan, which gives general overview and analysis of separate service ranges and types. The researchers interested in Azerbaijani librarianship may find it practical.

The purpose of this paper is to examine the use of social media in the marketing of academic library resources and services in Kuwait and identifies the factors related to the use of social media applications in marketing academic libraries.

A quantitative data-collection approach using a paper and online questionnaire has been employed to elicit the opinions of librarians working in academic libraries in Kuwait in both private and public institutions. In total, 89 valid questionnaires have been analyzed using descriptive (frequencies, percentages, means and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (factor analysis, correlations, experimental analysis and regression).

The study shows that the academic librarians have a positive perception toward the use of social media. The identified factors relating to the use of social media for marketing library information resources and services are the usefulness of social media tools in raising awareness and in providing needs analysis and satisfaction assessments. However, management support for the use of social media for library marketing is poor.

This study provides insights into the factors related to the use of modern social media platforms to promote information resources and services at academic libraries to provide outreach services to current and potential users.

This research contributes to the field of information studies as it highlights the importance of using social media platforms in marketing academic library information resources and services. Library administrators could use the results to develop social media marketing plans to effectively promote their library resources.

The present paper's purpose is to review the literature related to quality assessment and performance evaluation in academic libraries, whether empirical or theoretical, and to extract key issues. It aims to explore which criteria exert a significant relationship with the academic libraries' performance quality; identify a set of criteria that appears to be useful for assessing the quality of academic libraries ITBS; and use these criteria to develop an instrument or evaluation checklist for evaluating the quality of academic libraries ITBS.

Related keywords such as “academic libraries research”, “academic libraries evaluation”, “academic libraries assessment” were searched on the web as well as some leading databases. In addition, available library resources as well as online book databases were consulted. Key issues were identified, categorized and discussed to develop the evaluation checklist suggested by the paper.

A number of indicators have been developed and tested in quality assessment studies debated in the paper. The literature reveals that evaluating ITBS in academic libraries should be considered to a greater extent and thus, more evaluation studies on the basis of validated tools are needed.

The review does not claim to be comprehensive.

The paper can serve as a research roadmap concerning quality assessment of ITBS in academic libraries for researchers, managers, academic authorities and users.

The use of the internet and World Wide Web to source information is now an emerging practice in developing countries and seems to be obscuring the use of printed resources in libraries. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of internet services on the use of prints in academic libraries in Nigeria.

The design of the study was ex post facto. The population of the study was the 131,670 students registered in the library from 2005 to 2014 academic sessions. The instruments for data collection were documentary records, oral interviews and observations. Statistics of past physical transactions at the Nnamdi Azikiwe Libraries University of Nigeria, Nsukka, were consulted and adapted for the study. Tables, graphs and a benchmark for assessment guided the analysis and discussion of the data.

Readers’ registrations, average daily readership and consultation of theses/dissertations were among the physical services that are multiplying and exerting pressures on existing facilities in the library. Books and periodicals consulted were constantly declining since the advent of internet services. Academic libraries in Nigeria should be adequately funded to sustain information and communication technology (ICT) backbone for internet usage and better marketing and stabilization of library services to retain users in academic libraries.

Increased availability of full-text online could force academic libraries in developing countries to cancel much of their online subscriptions. Serious efforts must be embarked by academic libraries to bring back the users to the library.

This article is the first to investigate the impacts of internet usage on printed resources in academic libraries in Nigeria. The originality lies in its contribution to internet use on information resources in academic libraries in developing regions.

COVID-19 forced libraries and other institutions to either close their doors to users or change their services routines. At this time, the libraries should extend their efforts to meet the increasing demands of information services in terms of quantity and quality of information services. This study aims to explore the role and responsibilities of academic libraries during times of crisis from the staff perception in academic libraries in Jordan.

A questionnaire was disseminated to 359 library staff who were working at the 10 public universities in Jordan; 295 questionnaires were suitable to analyze, with a response rate of 82.2%.

The results indicated the importance of increasing academic libraries – specifically academic libraries in Jordan – awareness about the vast and important role of libraries to support research and the public community by providing authentic information sources about the pandemic to increase public awareness about the pandemic, besides contributing to disseminating research related to the pandemic as well as producing related research. Libraries needed to adjust their collection and information services during the crisis as they looked for ways to support the users they serve. The results affirmed that access to information remains the social responsibility of librarians.

The findings will provide insights for other academic libraries on how to react in a crisis and maintain its role as a reliable information source.

During the health pandemic, people needed support in terms of getting easy access to authentic and reliable information. Libraries hold a social responsibility to the local community, such as awareness campaigns, posting videos on health practices and hygiene on it websites and social media.

This paper provides insights and practical solutions for academic libraries in response to global health pandemics. It will help academic libraries handle and cope with the challenges of providing distance library services over digital channels.

This paper aims to discuss the present status of using new generation web technology, social media and Web 2.0 features among the technological university library websites in south India. It seeks to assess the library websites as a primary platform and one‐stop portal for information services and to examine how much library websites are effective in providing web‐based information services.

The library websites of the technological universities in south India were evaluated on the basis of a relative weight checklist. The criteria for the checklist were drawn on the basis of availability of websites for library, resource discovery tools, access to scholarly content and Web 2.0 tools. The various issues and challenges in adapting new web technologies in the academic environment are discussed.

Using the current web development technologies and deploying for mainstream web information services is not widespread as web information services are yet to take off widely in academic libraries. The majority of university libraries are found to be working in the conventional library settings and the diffusion rate of web information services is relatively low.

As this is an assessment of the existing online information infrastructure facilities of the engineering universities in south India, the awareness of web‐based information services, their viability, and service values can be enhanced. More emphasis to improve upon the current learning, online educational facilities and benchmarking electronic information services for sustainability is highlighted.

The purpose of this paper is to suggest strategies for marketing academic library resources and information services to Asian international students. Compared with those from a Western culture, those students are not as knowledgeable about the library resources and information services in an academic setting.

The paper describes the strategies for marketing academic library resources and information services to Asian international students and the challenges faced by reference librarians dealing with Asian international students. It looks also at what information literacy programs and activities are suitable to accommodate the information needs of Asian international students and what teaching methodology should be used. The paper draws upon the author's personal experiences and observations as an International Students Information Librarian who works closely with international students. Surveys were used to find out whether Asian international students had experiences of using academic libraries; and whether they are aware of the services and resources available for their study in a Western academic setting.

Academic libraries need to market their services and resources proactively to Asian international students who are not familiar with the services and resources in a Western academic library. Reference librarians need to consider these learners' characteristics, language proficiency, learning styles and their subjects of interests so that the teaching methodology and examples used are effective with these students.

The paper adds value to the body of literature on information literacy programs and information services for international students, who are totally alien to the Western academic environment.