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The purpose of this study is to identify the impact of online learning on university librarians’ professional development and library services.

A mixed-methods study through an explanatory research design was applied to address the study’s objectives. Quantitative data were gathered from 341 librarians working in 221 universities, while qualitative data were gathered from 27 experts working in 21 different universities of Pakistan.

The findings of the study revealed that online learning has a significant positive impact on the professional development of university librarians. Results revealed that online learning assists in the provision of sustainable, innovative library services in university libraries.

The study has offered a model in light of the study's quantitative and qualitative findings. It contributes to theoretical understanding by expanding the existing knowledge base. It offers managerial insights, enabling the development of policies that foster the professional development of library personnel and the implementation of smart library services.

Continuous professional development (CPD) plays a crucial role in the library workplace by equipping library and information science (LIS) professionals with the skills and technical knowledge to bridge the theory-praxis gap, assuring that library practitioners and their organisations continue to innovate and stay successful and tailored to the requirement of their users. The aim of the study was to investigate the channels of CPD for LIS professionals working in the university libraries of Northern India. Also, it explored the motivations and barriers related to the LIS professionals’ CPD.

The study adopted a quantitative research design followed by the survey research method. The study population included LIS professionals working in the university libraries of Northern India. Data was gathered from 177 respondents via the census sampling method.

LIS professionals engaged in CPD activities through multiple channels. Intrinsic factors primarily governed the motivation for CPD. Similarly, time and finance were significant challenges for LIS CPD. Lastly, most libraries were headed by in-charge librarians (non-professionals). De-professionalisation, or the deliberate de-skilling of professional roles, threatens the basis upon which librarians establish their credibility as professionals.

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the study is the first of its kind from the perspective of a developing country, adding to the CPD literature in academic libraries.

Motivation of the employees is extensively considered as an antidote for the overall success of the organizations. This study primarily aims to investigate the impact of motivation on the job performance of university librarians in Pakistan.

Quantitative research design followed by a survey method under an extended theory of motivation was applied. Data were collected from 123 professional librarians of 79 university libraries in Punjab province, Pakistan. The study tested hypotheses having used regression statistical test through Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software (Version 26).

Results of the study revealed that motivation (intrinsic and extrinsic), the expectation of benefits, satisfaction of meta needs and challenging situations have a strong positive impact on the optimum job performance of university librarians.

This research has theoretical implications for the researchers and practical insights for human resource managers to get maximum outcomes for organizational development. The results of the study may be generalized to the university libraries of other countries having similar socio-economic and cultural situations.

This study developed a framework based upon empirically tested hypotheses that might be used as drivers for different motivation practices to augment employees’ commitment to the organizations.

The library and information science profession finds itself grappling with substantial difficulties and hurdles when addressing the trustworthiness and accuracy of information disseminated through social media platforms. This study aims to highlight the educational authority of librarians and propose a framework for librarians to establish their identity, understand the meaning behind their practice and integrate their expertise through knowledge practices, ensuring their relevance and effectiveness in the social media environment.

This study delves into a conceptual framework rooted in philosophical inquiry, seeking to establish a harmonious connection between interrelated concepts of civic roles, professional identity and knowledge practices. It draws upon both original research findings and a review of existing literature in the field.

Civic responsibilities reflect the professional identities of librarians. Evidence of knowledge practices collected from scientific literature emerged to be the important characterization of how librarians uphold their image as educational authorities. It describes the meaning of civic roles and professional practice.

The study sheds light on how librarians maintain their reputation as educators and the knowledge practices that underpin their civic responsibilities amidst the pervasiveness of information disorders.

The framework presented in the study offers a timely and relevant contribution to the complex realm of social media information disorders, a challenge that librarians grapple with regularly. It highlights the emerging role of librarians in society to assert their identity and recognize their civic responsibility in addressing this pressing issue that society faces.

This study aims to identify the causes of mental health issues faced by university librarians, to investigate the impact of mental health issues on the job performance of university librarians, and to know about the health activities to maintain mental and physical health.

The systematic literature review was applied as the research methodology. Forty-three research papers published in peer-reviewed journals were selected to conduct the study.

The findings of the study revealed that several factors including socio-economic conditions, work stress, stigma, constant fear, lack of self-efficacy, negative thinking, job security problems, strict organizational climate, poor human relations, lack of required job skills, chronic diseases and global pandemics cause mental problems in library professionals. Mental health issues have a negative impact on the job output of librarians. Different activities including emotional health training sessions, physical and mental exercises, social connections, membership of mental health centres, continuing professional development, and self-care training assist in the stability of the physical and mental fitness of librarians.

The study has a societal impact through the identification of different activities for maintaining mental health. It has offered theoretical implications for the investigators to further conduct studies in the area of mental health and librarians. It has also provided managerial implications for management bodies to take fruitful measures for the sound mental health of librarians so that they might carry out innovative library services.

Many librarians are asked questions about copyright and intellectual property. They may be expected to advise on copyright or provide copyright education as part of their duties. Others may be “voluntold” to take on copyright, which may come as an unexpected addition to their workload. This case study provides suggestions for librarians to increase their copyright knowledge and create copyright education programs.

This case study showcases two copyright education programs created by a librarian in a college and another in a university. The librarians collaborated to learn more about the state of copyright education within academic libraries and explore their commonalities and differences. This case study introduces two copyright education programs and summarizes the state of copyright education within library and information science (LIS) and academic libraries.

The following themes within the two copyright education programs were identified through a case study: the complexity of copyright, the engagement (or lack thereof) across a college or university, the necessity of including copyright in information literacy instruction and the calls for professional development with copyright.

This case study covers two differing institutions so its conclusions may not be applicable to all libraries or educational settings.

Many individuals who are in disciplines or occupations that regularly work with copyright may generate ideas for creating and providing continuing education within their organizations.

Library or education professionals can use the case study’s conclusions to inform and support their ongoing work with teaching and learning about copyright and intellectual property. By doing so, they can better support their students, faculty and institutions.

This study investigated multiple factors associated with librarians’ intentions to engage in virtual storytimes in public libraries. Based on the theory of planned behavior, the study examined the aspects of attitudes, social norms, behavioral controls and organizational support about librarians’ intentions to engage in virtual storytime practices.

A survey was conducted to investigate the perceptions of public librarians who work in children’s services across the USA. The study collected 365 valid responses to assess the impact of the selected factors on librarians’ intentions. Structural equation modeling was employed for statistical analysis.

The results revealed that attitudes, subjective norms and behavioral controls were significant factors associated with librarians’ intention to engage in virtual storytimes. Among these, attitudinal factors were the most influential; however, organizational support was not a significant factor.

Minimal research has been conducted to explore factors associated with online storytime practices, which served as a primary delivery mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is among the first attempts to investigate various factors related to virtual storytimes in public libraries from the perspectives of librarians.

The field of library and information sciences (LIS) is crucial to our educational system. Across the globe, the LIS systems operate at varying levels and rates of efficiency. One of the developing nations is Pakistan, which has LIS systems in all of its colleges, universities and schools. This multimethod study aims to identify and quantify elements that are detrimental to LIS progress as well as evaluate the faculty and infrastructure profiles of universities that offer LIS undergraduate and graduate level programmes.

Data was collected from the study's participants, who were mainly LIS professionals and faculty at 17 different universities, using survey questionnaires and in-person interviews. This study used a descriptive survey methodology, gathering information through a Google Survey and filling it out with a premade survey proforma. The survey responses were examined using content analysis. The development of LIS instructional and scholarly output is influenced by a variety of factors, which were investigated using a generalized linear model (GLM). To determine whether there was a statistically significant difference in opinion between faculty members and working professionals, as well as between men and women, the outcomes of an independent sample t-test were examined.

According to our data, the factors that have the biggest impact on the caliber and output of LIS research are “poor writing skills” (3.43), “lack of journal publication fees” (3.51) and “lack of research skills” (3.78). The top GLM model identified poor writing skills, a lack of publication fees and a lack of research expertise as bottleneck characteristics for producing high-quality LIS research. The aforementioned factors were 3.62, 2.41 and 2.19 times more significant than the average factor, respectively, to put it another way.

This study’s analysis revealed that there is no real distinction between the two groups' viewpoints. The results of this study can be applied to problems and challenges associated with LIS education in Pakistani educational institutions.

The present study aimed to investigate the impact of social networks on the use of academic libraries by university students.

The method used in the present study was a survey. The statistical population included 461 university students. The data collection tool was a questionnaire. The result of the Cronbach test was equal to 0.726 indicating the acceptable reliability of the questionnaire. For data analysis, descriptive statistical methods and inferential statistical methods using SPSS 21 software were employed.

The findings showed that 243 of the participants used social networks for 4–6 h a day, 192 students never used university libraries and 229 used the university library only once in a month. Communication with friends was also reported to be one of the main goals in using social networks. The results of regression analysis also indicated that four predictor variables including information retrieval, social influence, trust and attractiveness of social networking environment were statistically able to explain the variance of reluctance to use university libraries.

The present study is one of the few studies that has examined the negative impact of social networks on visiting university libraries.

The purpose of this study is to examine research on academic libraries and the social web published from July 1, 2019, to June 30, 2023.

The article search and filtering procedures mirrored those of Choi and Harper (2020) and Carlsson (2015), resulting in a total sample size of 93 articles. These articles underwent examination based on the same eight variables (i.e. journal outlet, research theme, publication year, social web type, method, keyword, study participant type and study country) as employed by Choi and Harper (2020) and Carlsson (2015), with the addition of two new variables (i.e. research purpose and the impact of COVID-19).

The research article volume has consistently maintained a stable trend. A notable difference from Choi and Harper (2020) and Carlsson (2015) is the rise of “user perspectives” as the second most prevalent theme. Unlike Choi and Harper (2020), the “survey” method is predominant. Many research purposes, excluding “marketing and promotion,” lack attention. Additionally, there’s a dearth of studies on the impact of COVID-19.

The findings from the study not only offer a snapshot of the current research landscape on academic libraries and their engagement with the social web but also offer insights for future scholarly endeavors.

There is a limited effort in exploring the recent literature regarding the role of the social web in academic libraries. This study serves as a valuable guide for contributing to this dynamic research stream and provides various up-to-date implications.