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• Published: 07 October 2016

Libraries for the future: the role of IT utilities in the transformation of academic libraries

• Elizabeth Tait 1 ,
• Konstantina Martzoukou 1 &
• Peter Reid 1  

Palgrave Communications volume  2 , Article number:  16070 ( 2016 ) Cite this article

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• Cultural and media studies
• Library science

This article presents an evaluation of the role of IT utilities in the transformation of academic library services. It begins with a brief overview of the historical development of academic libraries followed by a discussion of current challenges and opportunities for academic libraries. It then offers reflections on the changing role and focus of academic libraries, evident, for example, via the reduction of physical book stock and through an increased focus on collaborative learning spaces. The article also discusses examples of innovative technological developments for learning, data management and the impact of these on the academic library sector, including the need for library staff to develop new skills and roles such as “embedded” librarian roles. The article concludes with reflections on future developments and the role of IT Utilities.

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Introduction.

The notion that technologies are as a force of “disruptive innovation” in the library sector has been discussed extensively in the academic literature and the wider press. Furthermore, the challenges and opportunities brought about by technological developments such as e-books and broadband Internet access in households with the added pressures from cuts to public services are well known. Many of these developments have called into question what the role of physical libraries is (or should be) in the twenty-first century. For example, the concept of the “library without walls” ( Weiss, 2004 ) has been mooted whereby patrons can utilize the services of the library irrespective of physical location ( Bilandzic and Johnson, 2013 ). The dire predictions of the death of the physical library has not come to pass, however, and while visits to public libraries have declined, visits to academic libraries have remained steady. The increasing student numbers at higher education institutions means that the footfall in academic libraries has actually increased although user behaviour, including borrowing patterns have changed significantly over the last 10 years ( SCONUL, 2015 ). There has also been a shift in the user demographics of academic libraries and changes in the way that patrons engage with the physical space. The roles of institutions such as libraries, museums and archives are evolving beyond being primarily about collecting, storing and disseminating information and towards becoming spaces of social learning and spaces where knowledge is created and shared ( Paulus, 2011 ). This is evident when we look at high profile examples of innovative new library designs, which tend to combine modern architecture and design with a more community and collaborative approach to service delivery ( Arts Council England, 2013 ).

These issues were explored in depth in a working group called “Libraries of the Future” organized by the IT as a Utility Research Councils UK (RCUK) Digital Economy Network between 2013 and 2015. The network took a broad definition of IT Utilities and had a remit to investigate “… simple, usable and safe IT provision from smart services, surroundings and information stores.” (ITaaU, n.d). A series of participative workshops were held bringing together an interdisciplinary range of: academics, library and information professionals, industry practitioners and other stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities of IT Utilities for libraries. The aim of the group was to inform the research agenda and make recommendations for policy and professional practice, including the education of future information professionals. This article presents an analysis and reflection of the key topics discussed and debated within the group. The specific objectives of the paper are: to contextualize the debates around IT Utilities within the broader context and historical development of the academic library service; to present an overview of some of the key technological developments relevant for the sector; to reflect and critically discuss the impact of these on the role and professional practices of academic library staff and, finally, to consider what the future of academic libraries and academic librarianship will be.

The development of the academic library

Academic libraries have a rich history and heritage and have always played an important role in academic research, teaching and scholarly communication ( Fjällbrant, 1997 ). Academic libraries have evolved and developed alongside the higher education institutions that they are part of and are characterized as being resilient institutions that have demonstrated the capacity to adapt to changing social, political and technical forces ( Gilmour and Sapp, 2002 ; Weiner, 2005 ). There are many different models of academic library from vast world renowned collections such as those to be found at institutions like Yale, Harvard, Cambridge and elsewhere to distributed, federal campuses in more recently established institutions such as the University of the West Indies. It is interesting to note at a time when much discussion is focussed around the reduction of physical stock in libraries that the earliest university libraries did not have large collections and tended to rely on donations of manuscripts and other artefacts with famous collections, such as the Bodleian at the University of Oxford having a core of bequeathed materials at its heart.

Academic library collections started expanding in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and an element of competitiveness began to emerge between them in terms of the size and value of their collections ( Weiner, 2005 ). In the post-war period there was a vast increase in scholarly output and this, combined with the development of early computing technologies in the 1970s led to new systems for the storage, cataloguing and retrieval of information ( Gilmour and Sapp, 2002 ). While these developments helped library staff to develop new services and cope with the surge in information, there were already concerns that digital services and automation would lead to the extinction of libraries and that the role of librarians could be redundant and there was recognition that the nature of academic librarianship needed to change. By the mid 1980s there was a recognition that: “The entire enterprise of scholarly communication was evolving in ways that tended to de-institutionalize information. Libraries could not and should not expect to retain a monopoly over information” ( Gilmour and Sapp, 2002 : 565). However, such perspectives have sometimes failed to take enough account of the fact that libraries have evolved continually and the role of the librarian has also developed in line with the process of change.

As scholarly publication and access has shifted even further towards electronic services academic libraries were forced to adapt further in order to demonstrate the “value added” services that they could deliver ( Gilmour and Sapp, 2003 ). The management of electronic services in the academic environment—including organization, dissemination, curation and the provision of those services is not without its challenges, but these are issues that library staff should play a central role in solving. As in the past with other innovations, digital developments afford opportunities for academic library staff to create new roles and new ways of delivering services for users. One obvious area is in the creation of seamless information architecture and knowledge organization structures that facilitate easy access and retrieval from online tools. This technical infrastructure is important in assisting users to understand the integrity of scholarly publication and information in an otherwise unregulated and unmediated digital environment.

Technical developments are not the only factor that has impacted on academic library service delivery. The evolving shape of pedagogy in higher education has been one of the key reasons for the change in shape of academic libraries. Students now study in many different ways and the role which the library plays in this is evident with a shift away from places which were traditionally silent study areas to become flexible and dynamic spaces suited to social and group learning. Blended learning, drawing on both the physical and virtual spaces have compelled the reconfiguring of academic libraries in much the same way as technological developments have changed the role of the academic librarian. The Philological Library at the Freie Universität in Berlin, the Sir Duncan Rice Library at the University of Aberdeen or the Hive at the University of Worcester are all recent examples of revolutionary approaches to the design of the academic library which reflect the changing nature of their use.

However, despite this period of growth and investment in new systems and services, many higher education library services suffered from budget cuts and resulting pressures on service delivery although the figures vary between countries and institutions ( Nicholas et al., 2010 ). Libraries have been forced to make efficiency savings—some also assisted by technologies—such as self-service machines and electronic rather than physical subscription to periodicals (RIN, 2010). Continued financial pressures combined with expectations that academic libraries will take on additional responsibilities such as research data management and open access requirements mean that this is a challenging time for academic libraries. The article will go on to explore these challenges and opportunities in more detail.

The library role in open access and research data management

One of the most significant recent developments in scholarly academic publication is open access. The movement for open access publications has been growing for some time in response to the high fees for journal article, access which meant that publicly funded research was only accessible to a small number of (usually) academic readers that limited public access and was also considered a barrier to social, cultural, technical and economic benefits of research. Open access is a global phenomenon; Kingsley and Kennan (2015) identified initiatives in a range of countries including the United States, where open access has been a mandate for recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health since 2007. There are also open access expectations for recipients of Horizon 2020 EU grant awards and similar mandates in countries such as Australia and Japan. In 2012, a Working Group on Expanding Access to Published Research Findings produced the “Finch Report” on open access and shortly after this the RCUK adopted the recommendations for open access publications requiring that all work funded with public money should be made available via open access. In addition the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) announced that research submitted to the next Research Excellence Framework (REF) should also be open access ( Hall, 2012 ). The HEFCE (2015) policy issued in July 2015 states that “to be eligible for submission to the post-2014 REF, authors’ outputs must have been deposited in an institutional or subject repository”.

In addition to the requirements for open access to publications, there are also regulations surrounding the management of academic data. Academic data is produced and shared in large volumes and represents a significant investment in public money, as well as being valuable resources for the advancement of knowledge. It is understandable then that research data management is a major preoccupation within the academic and research sectors “…from its entry to the research cycle through to the dissemination and archiving of valuable results” ( Whyte and Tedds, 2011 ). Requirements for institutions to put into place policies for research data management have been driven by a number of factors, including the increasing prominence of data intensive research and also by requirements from journals and funding bodies to collect and store data, and to make it available for other researchers to use. In the United Kingdom, funding councils have introduced requirements for academic institutions to have formal processes in place for curating data generated by publicly funded research projects ( RCUK, 2015 ). Research data is a resource that demands sophisticated approaches to curation and management (as Joint Information Services Commission (JISC) has identified in its Managing Research Data Programme 2011–2013). There is an increasing pressure for institutions (particularly in the academic sector) to exploit research data more fully, particularly when it has been generated through the use of public funding ( Cox and Pinfield, 2014 ).

These new policies and guidelines have had significant implications for research communication, publishers and academics and, of particular relevance for this paper, for libraries. Responsibility for the development and management of institutional repositories has largely been allocated to university libraries as an extension of their traditional function for the storage and dissemination of academic work ( Swan, 2011 ). The development of repositories can be viewed as being jointly enabled by the funding mandates and also by technical developments, including open source repository solutions that has made the initiatives possible. Many institutions already had repositories in place before the mandate with a large number being developed with support and funding from the JISC in a series of development programmes ( Jacobs et al., 2008 ).

Collection management in academic libraries has been further complicated by changing business models of academic publishing. For example, commercial publishers are increasingly turning to Article Processing Charges for open access journals. Academic library staff need to be able to navigate the heterogeneous business approaches and to engage and consult with academics and university managers, and determine how resources should be allocated ( Arte and Cassella, 2014 ). Houghton and Oppenheim (2010) conducted a cost-benefit analysis of new publishing models facilitated by open access repositories in a JISC EI-ASPM project. This included examination of “overlay journals” where authors self-archive in repositories and these are then indexed and used as the foundation for overlay services such as peer-review and quality control ( Houghton and Oppenheim, 2010 ). The authors concluded that “…more open access would have substantial net benefits in the longer term, and while net benefits may be lower during a transitional period, they are likely to be positive for both open access publishing and self-archiving alternatives (that is, Gold OA) and for parallel subscription publishing and self-archiving (that is, Green OA).” ( Houghton and Oppenheim, 2010 : 13). A concomitant development to open access repositories are Current Research Information Systems (CRIS) that are usually used to support institutional research information management with a particular focus on funding and projects ( De Castro et al., 2014 ). These are separate but clearly related activities within academic research and many systems allow for CRIS/IR interoperability based on systematic metadata exchange to facilitate reporting and monitoring of research performance, and impact to funders, inter-institutional collaboration and other stakeholders ( De Castro et al., 2014 ).

As well as the technical and logistical challenges of curating academic data and publications, there are also potential challenges for library staff of engaging researchers and overcoming some long held concerns about keeping control of data, concerns about intellectual property (especially if the research has potential for commercialization) or ethical concerns from researchers about the potential for sensitive information to become public or for research participants’ anonymity to be compromised ( Cox and Pinfield, 2014 ). The additional responsibilities of open access and data management are also coming at a time where funding and resources are under pressure for academic libraries. Staffing levels (in particular for professionally qualified librarians) are being reduced in many institutions and there are limited budgets for skills and training of staff. Institutions, such as the Digital Curation Centre provide cross-institutional support and provide resources such as DMPonline to assist researchers in making data management plans. Further national initiatives have been developed such as the Jisc Research Data Registry and Discovery service and the Australian National Data Services have been developed to aid the discovery and reuse of research data ( Davidson et al., 2014 ) and there are knowledge transfer networks between institutions, but some still question whether libraries have the capacity and skills to take on these new responsibilities.

Library IT utilities for a changing pedagogical environment

Twenty-first century academic libraries extend beyond the walls of their individual institutions to online open access information spaces, dealing with intelligent Internet sharing tools and online social communication, and networking technologies. Academic library staff should also be in a position to support diverse and international university learning communities, and understand and be responsive to the needs of all international students that use the library, ensuring that they receive an equivalent high quality service. In a fast growing international education environment there are new challenges created for academic library staff that call for an investment in skills development and continuous improvements on the basis of delivering effective, meaningful, interactive, flexible and culturally aware library services and programmes. There has been a move towards a more market-oriented approach to HE institutions that is reflected in great competition for recruitment of International students. In England and Wales (but notably not in Scotland) this is compounded by the removal of student recruitment caps and increasing tuition fees. Student satisfaction metrics are increasingly being collected, through mechanisms, such as the National Student Survey that impact on university league tables and have a direct impact on services provided. All parts of universities, including libraries have to respond to this customer-focussed approach and are in competition with each other for resources. Users have increased expectations of ubiquitous digital access “on demand” and many university libraries also have to support a growing population of distance learning students who may never attend campus ( Creed-Dikeogu and Clark, 2013 ). Online learning and teaching (including MOOCs) requires a significant movement from traditional on campus modes of library delivery, support, and advice that is appropriate to the needs of distance-learning students, whether overseas or home students, and their diverse learning environments, expectations and requirements.

These developments require a culture of openness and sharing that challenges the traditional stereotype of library work as controlled, mediated information access and a more user-centred approach to meet the needs and requirements of an increasingly global library community. Libraries have responded to this by developing new methodologies for analysing user experiences (sometimes known as “UX research”) that include qualitative ethnographic studies to better understand how patrons use library spaces ( Datig, 2015 ). Observational studies by researchers such as Applegate (2009) have demonstrated that while students are using academic library spaces in different ways than before (for example, bringing their own laptops), that the library continues to be a key space for learning and scholarly activities within academic institutions and that effective libraries must be responsive to these needs. This replaces traditional models of uni-directional services as library staff and the communities they serve can be co-producers of library services ( Berube, 2011 : 30). For example, the library corporate website that traditionally included mainly static, directional, descriptive information to internal and external services provided by the library has now evolved into a more dynamic online space with the utilization of Web 2.0 tools, such as RSS feeds, social networking sites such as Facebook, audio and video podcasting and blogging; these act as easily accessible communication tools for users that keep them in touch with the library and enable the development of a participation framework for further sharing, collaborating and creating of new information.

With the transformational impact of IT Utilities libraries are thus increasingly moving towards a model that has shifted power from provider to user. For example, modern libraries are now embracing Web-scale discovery systems that enable the use of a single central index and search interface that allows searching across local library services, subscriptions collections as well as open access resources. This move mirrors the working model of major commercial database vendors, such as EBSCO, Ex Libris, Serial Solutions Summon and OCLC’s WorldCat Local, who all offer discovery services that harvest information from a wide variety of publishers and open-access repositories. Some of these services allow features that support user tagging, user ratings and reviews, integration with personal accounts, and sharing with external sites, such as Facebook. Electronic catalogue technology now offers functionality and services which improve information discovery via the Social Web and support searching various open sources including Web search engines and allowing user comments, reviews, ratings, added subjects and keywords, which provide user input to library collections and services.

Technology has transformed additional services traditionally offered by libraries. For instance, online reading lists have been widely adopted by academic libraries as an effective means for creating, editing, personalizing, updating and integrating reading lists into online learning and teaching material, helping students to connect directly and seamlessly with the reading resources of their courses. In addition, academic library staff can readily address the needs of academics for ordering books, as well as their training needs for managing and maintaining their reading lists. This undoubtedly also creates new needs. A study of Talis Aspire and reading lists, for example, highlighted the need to improve communication between faculty and library staff needs ( Cameron and Siddall, 2015 ) drawing from earlier research that identified an “asymmetrical disconnection” ( Christiansen et al., 2004 : 18) between academics and library staff with the former having little understanding of the responsibilities and roles of library staff in setting up and managing these lists.

Another example is the domain of eBooks, which is a growing part of the online services offered by academic libraries, yet there are still some important challenges and difficulties encountered in the selection, licencing, acquisition, management and promotion of these materials. These include dealing with the lack of uniformity and restrictive terms in licencing provision, the diversity of different ways they are made available (platforms, formats and software) and the different expectations of libraries, faculties and e-book providers. Traditional models of book lending followed in the physical library cannot be transferred to the digital environment and students’ reading habits and expectations of access create difficulties for libraries to replicate equivalent instant and unrestricted reading experiences. Yet, beyond the challenges encountered, this is another area that library staff are given an opportunity to define and assert new and significant roles. Walters (2013) for instance, asserts that academic library staff are well-positioned to offer guidance to eBook vendors for the development of meaningful e-book licences and usable platforms for the academic environment and this implies that they “have an important role to play in shaping the e-book environment, especially since publishers have yet to agree on the best ways of providing and marketing e-books to academic libraries” (201).

Social media and mobile devices

Other areas of technological change for academic libraries include the use of mobile technologies and particular “smart” devices of different types, utilized by both students and faculty, such as iPads, Kindles, smartphones, or other mobile devices. In an information world of instant solvability of information problems with access to easy to use web search engines, social media and mobile technologies, and Wi-Fi access to the Internet, the expectation is that it is possible to find information for immediate use at anytime and anywhere with less need to be educated how to develop information skills and use quality-controlled information sources ( Wilder, 2005 ). The pressure for libraries to keep up with not only new technologies but more profoundly with these expectations is immense. According to a survey of almost 35,000 8- to 16-year-olds, conducted by the National Literary Trust, young people are now much more likely to prefer to read on a computer screen rather than a printed book or magazine ( National Literacy Trust, 2013 ), which makes sense considering that 85 per cent have a mobile phone while only 73 per cent own books ( Clark and Hawkins, 2010 ). Considering that these are the university students of tomorrow, it is clear that priorities for libraries are changing as students have preference for accessing information using different methods and approaches, which signify a change in reading habits.

Libraries are some of the most active users of social media, making services more participatory, embracing openness and reaching a wider audience, allowing them to communicate and engage with its community in dialogue, which informs and helps develop its products and services, and how it operates. Social media tools can be used within this context for a number of different purposes. For example, services can create a strong presence and a modern image that could appeal to less frequent users of the physical buildings such as teenagers. Libraries can develop services online (for example, book discussion groups using blogs and wikis) and provide services and product updates on social media tools such as Twitter. Web 2.0 can also offer cost-effective solutions for the production of promotional and marketing material about services and materials available using services such as YouTube. Web 2.0 helps raise awareness of services overcoming barriers associated with traditional methods of publishing (for example, by overcoming delays associated with posting information on the website of the wider organization, a process that is often controlled by the IT department). Social media can also be used as a means of networking, communication and sharing of ideas with other professional organizations and colleagues, who work in different contexts, allowing the wide spread of ideas and creating expanding international networks ( Chu and Du, 2013 ).

Although the primary utility of social media is centred on marketing and awareness services, they can also be used as tools for information literacy training. For example, libraries can help their users develop information seeking competence in a number of ways using online social media. They can develop database instructional videos that aid navigation and information searching approaches on complex information retrieval environments that could be uploaded on services, such as YouTube and Vimeo; (more information on these is given below); they can create interactive reference services such as FAQs and chat widgets using Springshare’s LibAnswers that have been used to great effect ( Stevens, 2013 ).

Social media can also be utilized independently by users as tools for information searching and discovery. Although search engine use is one of the most popular search approaches to Web information seeking, an alternative way is to use online social media by posing questions to key individuals and groups online, and browsing across online social networks. When online social media are used for finding information, this has been broadly referred to as social search. This technique may involve online social media directly or via the initial use of search engines that index social media webpages (for example, public Twitter posts, social tagging tools such as Delicious). Social search may involve browsing or active requests for help from the searcher to other people. In a study of social search behaviour comparing the experience of searchers who asked a questions to a group of people they knew personally (by means of a social network status message update) and the experience of searching for the same information with a Web search engine, Morris et al. (2010) surveyed Facebook and Twitter users about situations in which they used a status message to ask questions of their social networks. Benefits of asking a social network included opinion-type answers, and that their social network knew additional context about them. Social networks seem particularly useful for subjective questions. People considered the results from their social network highly trustworthy and favoured the delivery of personalized answers. Asking via a social network was also found to provide valuable confirmation of results found via a search engine.

Online social media can therefore serve as excellent information searching and browsing platforms that enable the sharing and communication of ideas, linking to professional groups of interest and creating online communities of practice. The increased popularity of online social communication/networking websites such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, has thus introduced a new dimension of finding information on the Internet, which may involve regular monitoring, browsing (for example, online topic discussions and community tags and ranked information) and/or actively seeking answers to specific information needs (via posing particular questions to online social networks of interest).

Finally, searching on online social media can also lead to serendipitous information discovery. A large part of everyday information seeking is based on different social networks of everyday life (we may call these interpersonal sources), and social media play a role in helping people to manage and extend these networks that become valuable and effective information channels. Searching and finding information is therefore made easier if someone within the online network has the knowledge that is being sought.

Makerspaces and gamification

As well as using IT Utilities to transform and enhance existing services, some libraries are also embracing technologies to facilitate new forms of knowledge creation leading to the development of makerspaces. According to Roslund and Rodgers (2014) , a makerspace can be defined as:

Makerspace is a general term for a place where people get together to make things. Markerspaces might focus on electronics, robotics, woodworking, sewing, laser cutting, programming or some combination of these skills. ( Roslund and Rodgers, 2014 )

This suitably broad definition is reflective of the fact that makerspaces are heterogeneous and vary widely in their use and implementation within library spaces. It is important to note that while some technologies are mentioned in the definition, technology is not an essential component of the makerspace. Instead, the focus is on creation and sharing of knowledge and skills. Makerspaces can be, however, viewed as opportunities for democratizing new technologies such as 3D printing. While the costs of 3D printers have come down considerably in recent years they are still expensive to buy and maintain, and so they are not usually found around the home. Having a 3D printer in a makerspace is seen as being a big draw because they allow institutions such as libraries to fulfil their missions of being an equalizing force for knowledge and information, and to provide innovative ways for engaging with users that go beyond the “traditional” activities associated with libraries.

The concept of “gamification” as a tool to enhance user engagement and learning has also become increasingly popular. Gamification can be defined as “the use of game design elements in non-game contexts” ( Deterding et al., 2013 : 1). Gamification can include competitions, activities, creativity and learning, and are designed to add value to user experiences. Nicholson (2013) draws attention to the fact that during the Great Depression, libraries organized puzzle contests and circulated games and toys, and academic and school libraries have had a long tradition of developing game-based learning activities to help students and teachers. The difference now, according to Nicholson (2013) is that a generation of people who grew up with video games and are therefore “game literate” have now become adults and have differing expectations about what gaming in the library should look like. Gaming in the library can take a number of forms. At the most basic level libraries can build up games for users to borrow or rent. Special libraries exist for game collections such as at the University of Michigan. Users can be encouraged to engage in gaming activities for work or social learning activities or hobbies (for example, “serious gaming”), including those that they do not normally engage with and some libraries offer services to help patrons develop their own games.

The use of gaming and gamification for more formal learning purposes is somewhat contested. For example, taking a positive perspective, Charsky and Ressler (2011) argues that games can stimulate higher order thinking and can be engaging and motivational, as well as providing opportunities to provide additional instructions to aid learning. Ben-Zvi (2010) adds that games also aid the illustration of interrelationships between decision-making and outcomes, and can aid and enhance participatory learning and teaching. However, there are some who have reservations about potential negative consequences and repercussions of ill-thought out gamification initiatives. For example, Nicholson (2013) points out that reward-based gaming systems, such as earning badges and points for completing learning tasks or activities can actually have a negative impact because “Research shows that if someone does something for a reward, then their intrinsic motivation to do that thing decreases; therefore, if the reward is later removed, the drive for the person to do that thing is lower than before the rewards were put in place”.

The value of digital literacy within the context of academic libraries

Within the expanding digital information arena, digital literacy is a highly sought competency among librarians, as library services are now offered through a range of media, including social network sites, mobiles phones or even virtual words. With the ubiquitous availability of digital information in different media forms and the ease of searching on the Web, with the advent of search engines such as Google and Bing, library staff are also expected to constantly remain up-to-date with different approaches followed for sourcing, creating and sharing information that are not necessarily supported within the formal academic environment and should reach out to students in more direct and meaningful ways. Paradoxically, within the era of digital information culture and connectivity (as digital information is growing with a rapid rate and becomes even more easily accessible and discoverable via less controlled routes) the more libraries connect directly with students the more students seem to disconnect from libraries. For example, students carry their knowledge structures, heuristics and tools that they use within their everyday life environments and transfer them to their academic studies without always an appreciation of the library services and their impact on their learning. Within the changing information arena, simplistic methods for searching and browsing beyond taught, “more sophisticated” library skills appear to be dominant. A report of findings from 2,318 respondents to a survey carried out among students across the United States found that students, rather than leveraging the wide range of resources available to them in the digital age and via the library, they instead employed a consistent and predictable research strategy for finding information, utilizing course readings and Google as a first port of call for course-related research ( Head and Eisenberg, 2009 ).

There have been many studies examining the characteristics of the Google generation on the basis of less sophisticated and surface information seeking strategies, yet these are not necessarily evident only in younger generations. For example as Brewer (2002) has commented, “search engines have become a part of the global culture, reaching a vast and diverse audience” and not only younger populations. This also extends to the way in which people read and use information. For instance, online reading has been characterized in multiple studies to be shallow not only among younger populations ( Liu, 2006 ), as time is spent on browsing and scanning than on focused reading of texts. The use of digital libraries by scholars has been described as bouncing, “squirrelling” or “power browsing” ( Nicholas et al., 2010 ), a form of intensively focused search and collection of resources for later use. In sciences, the central unit of information has changed from a journal to an individual article because of the possibility of accessing articles directly in digital libraries ( Tenopir et al., 2009 ). The Google generation study ( Rowlands et al., 2008 ) demonstrated that we are all exposed to search engines and social media, and thus a part of the Google generation. Prensky (2009) proposed the notion of “digital wisdom”, an enhanced state of being wise with the help of digital technology. The focal aspect of the proposition is that a departure from traditional ways of searching, reading and communicating is prominent. However, this may not necessarily mean that these new practices are to be avoided or that they are inferior. For example, using new generation reader devices may mean successfully combining the flexibility of digitality with many of the qualities of printed books and not that reading has been overall reduced. Using search engines for sourcing information many mean discovering new intelligent methods for information discovery and retrieval and not necessarily utilizing information that is not academic or of low quality. Considering this in relation to the academic librarianship domain, these changes signify the need for addressing new models of information service provision across the spectrum and critically reflecting up what these changes mean for academic librarians and their own practices.

Library staff roles have thus evolved and there is more emphasis on the importance of staying current with new media and digital trends, as well as modern approaches to information seeking and use, sharing and communication. The role of the information professional is viewed as shifting from being a custodian or gatekeeper to that of a facilitator or mediator of information ( Currall and Moss, 2008 ). Traditional librarianship competencies coupled with, among others, technology and instructional design skills are essential for library jobs that deal with instruction of users and specialist roles have been created to reflect this trend, such as learning developers, learning technologists and skills managers. However, we also see an increasing demand for the development of other transferable skills, such as teaching and instruction with references to new media and ways of learning (for example, online, blended), which have become of paramount importance within the academic library context. For instance one of the concerns is whether library staff are aware of educational theories when teaching information literacy, the lack of which could potentially have a negative impact on learning outcomes. Library staff face challenges in the areas of teaching and particularly in terms of following established pedagogical and teaching models that are required in the effective development of library users’ development of information literacy skills.

Empowering academic librarians

The embedded or blended academic librarianship approach is based on establishing a partnership between academics and librarians, placing the librarians at the centre of the learning process and making them active participants in the process of teaching, learning and assessment ( Shumaker and Tyler, 2007 ; Shank and Bell, 2011 . The blended librarian participates actively and holistically in students’ learning, developing an essential skill set that blurs the boundaries between traditional library competencies, information technology and instructional/educational design skills. In that way librarians can participate actively in the development of academic courses and ensure that the teaching of information literacy is embedded into the curriculum, work together with academics to prepare reading lists and offer consultancy and support in sourcing quality information in relation to specific subject areas. A number of fundamental qualities empower this role: leadership, commitment, collaboration, communication and engagement that are fundamental for creating partnerships between librarian and faculty ( Bell and Shank, 2004 ). Although reaching beyond the academic context to address the wider organizational environment, the model of embedded librarianship carrying similar connotations with blended librarianship, is described as the physical movement of the work of librarians from a central library close to the customer groups of an organization. Embedded librarians offer a range of services, including training, research, current awareness and alerting services, assessing literature and managing web content, all of which require the development of information technology skills ( Shumaker and Talley, 2009 ), but also other soft skills such as team work, collaboration and customer service. Within the context of academic library work specifically, this may involve support for open access (for example, Orchid profiles) and ensuring that work is included in the Institutional Repository with correct metadata, enabling easier citation tracking and analysis (bibliometrics) of academics’ research work and helping them prepare for the requirements of the REF. A further area where librarians can assist research is by encouraging and supporting researchers to utilize research focussed social media platforms such as ResearchGate, Google Scholar and Academia.edu, and organizing platforms such as Mendelay and RefMe. This model of blended/embedded librarianship deliberately moves librarians away from the physical space of the library, creating new and less predictable opportunities but also challenges. Schumacher, offers a number of examples that offer evidence around the value of physical collocation, demonstrating the higher level of engagement and contribution possible when librarians work as part of a unit, a community/group, as part of the whole and how librarians’ roles transform into team-based expert roles that involve partnership around value-added research and information curation activities ( Shumaker, 2012 ).

Therefore, information skills instruction may require a better understanding of students’ contemporary information practices in everyday life and how this affects their approaches to academic information sources. Furthermore, it creates new roles for academic libraries in terms of advocating the development of information literacy in students and following more collaborative approaches with academics that will enable them to highlight its value by incorporating it within the learning objectives of different courses. This also means that libraries need to keep up-to-date with current research in the area of information literacy and develop more embedded relationships with academic staff.

This article has presented an overview of some of the key areas where IT Utilities are influencing the academic library sector. In particular, academic libraries have demonstrated tremendous adaptability for serving the needs of a larger and more diverse student body (including developments in distance and blended learning) and services are now much more user-driven and tailored in response to the demands of 24-7 access to resources across a wide variety of platforms. Furthermore, academic libraries have also played a key role in the implementation and governance of open access mandates and enabled researchers to widen the reach of their research by the management of institutional repositories and data management. Future demands from users for personalized services and requirements from external funding bodies to demonstrate impact and value for money from academic research will likely lead to further challenges and opportunities for libraries.

As indicated in the article the staffing profile of academic libraries has shifted away from “traditional” academic librarianship roles to a more diverse range of roles including non-professional library assistants, teaching and learning assistants, and specialist “blended” or academic liaison roles. This change, may be perceived by some, as being at odds with the traditional notion of the librarian as the gatekeeper of information and knowledge as it calls for a wider level transition that positions academic librarians beyond the restriction of their physical space and resources, to seek opportunities for continuing learning and development via active collaboration and partnerships, and develop a vision that fosters a learning culture for staff beyond the walls of the library ( Martzoukou, 2013 ). Training for new library staff (such as postgraduate library and information management courses) must reflect these new roles and demands as well as making available continuous professional development opportunities for existing professionals. The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals in the U.K. places emphasis on expanding the development of skills beyond traditional library skills in their Professional Knowledge and Skills Base to embrace the depth and breadth of professional, technical knowledge and transferable skills that can be used as a tool for professional development and as a framework for skills analysis, staff training and development plans beyond the domain of librarianship. It is clear that in order for the potential of IT Utilities to be fully realised that additional support needs to be made available to libraries in terms of funding, partnerships with businesses and training and skills development for staff. As academic librarians are called to assert their roles in a changing technological and blended learning environments there is a need for a wider exchange of information and collaboration with other professional groups, both academic and support staff who can provide their expertise on technology and educational/instructional design. The positioning of the academic library within professional support services of universities in the United Kingdom rather than as an academic function may mean that organizational boundaries between academic and non-academic staff may be a barrier to these developments.

A lot of new IT Utility equipment and services are specialised and, while costs and barriers to entry are reducing, there is still an uneven take up of new technologies and more specialised activities. This is particularly the case for libraries outside of major metropolitan areas or in less developed countries. There are further challenges of procurement and maintenance of specialist equipment—beyond the initial outlay there are also costs associated with maintaining equipment, which can be prohibitive. These challenges could be overcome in part by new business models for shared services between institutions and joint working between the library and academic IT services. There should also be rigorous impact assessments conducted of IT Utilities in libraries to assist with benchmarking and to determine recommendations and best practice guidelines to assist with knowledge transfer between institutions. Further, while new academic libraries are being purpose built with collaboration spaces and designed to have activity areas, many libraries, do not have the physical space to host specialist equipment or run workshops or the spaces may not be suitable for the purposes. Academic libraries have not been as strongly hit by cuts to public services as has been evident in other library sectors in the United Kingdom. However, academic library services still need to compete for resources with other departments and must be prepared to justify their spending and demonstrate value in an increasingly market-oriented HE landscapes, and it may also be necessary for libraries to review their service priorities divest from certain activities if required.

Within the fast changing environment of academia, there are not only new emerging roles for academic library staff (for example, research and data management), but also traditional roles (for example, information literacy instruction) that have evolved with greater demands placed on technological, interpersonal, IT and transferable skills. The development of subject domain expertise within multidisciplinary research fields, and the world of academic information has become increasingly more complex with open access, big data, and new models of online learning, teaching and research (for example, blended learning, online research) will likely lead to further challenges and opportunities in future. As shown throughout the article, academic libraries have consistently demonstrated the capacity to adapt and change to meet the needs of users, which is reflected in the new user-centred approach to service delivery.

Data availability

Data sharing not applicable to this article as no datasets were generated or analysed during the current study.

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This work was funded by the IT as a Utility Network+ under the RCUK Digital Economy Programme. Grant reference: EP/K003569/1.

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An assessment of academic library services: international and domestic students perspectives

Library Management

ISSN : 0143-5124

Article publication date: 30 June 2020

Issue publication date: 20 October 2020

Information literacy is defined as discrete abilities that a person requires to have in order to find, assess, use and share information. As information literacy skills play a prominent role in the students' academic achievement, students and in particular international students coming to continue their postgraduate studies in other countries may face problems in finding and using library services. The purpose of this paper is to explore and investigate the information literacy skills, challenges and needs of international and domestic students at the Finnish universities.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper uses a mixed-methods design. Quantitative data were collected through an online survey (82 respondents) and qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 international and 10 domestic students.

Academic library services are used but in different ways. The findings indicate that international students have a relatively low level of information literacy skills compared to domestic students and faces various challenges, especially in the beginning of their studies.

Research limitations/implications

The study was exploratory, and data were collected from limited number of Finnish universities and may not be representative of the underlying population.

Practical implications

Academic libraries should provide effective courses on research methods and library services to the international students while keeping in mind the international students language and cultural barriers.

Originality/value

This is one of the first attempts in information literacy research that focusses on international and domestic students' information literacy skills at the higher education environment. As such, the results provided in this paper can help librarians and decision-makers at the higher education environments to plan better and become more efficient in delivering information services meeting students' information needs and expectations.

• Academic library
• Information skills
• International students
• Library users

Soltani, S. and Nikou, S. (2020), "An assessment of academic library services: international and domestic students perspectives", Library Management , Vol. 41 No. 8/9, pp. 631-653. https://doi.org/10.1108/LM-04-2020-0071

Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2020, Sanaz Soltani and Shahrokh Nikou

Published by Emerald Publishing Limited. This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) licence. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial & non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this licence may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

1. Introduction

Prior research on academic library services have indicated that the impact of library services on information literacy could be determined through, e.g. Association of College and Research Libraries ( ACRL, 2017 ) or according to the standards developed by a country ( Głowacka, 2019 , p. 587). For instance, academic libraries could use the information to assess whether a student is an information literate, or what areas should be addressed and what standards should be followed. In the digital era, the skills required of an information literate student include the ability to, e.g. formulate an information query, determine the type and format of the information source, select the most effective search strategy, assess the quality of information, use and share information following the ethical and legal principles. Prior studies in academic library research have tended to focus on the students' needs and skills of information seeking and retrieval ( Liu, 1993 ; Knight et al. , 2010 ) rather than students' information literacy needs in research context. In the broader context of the contemporary information-driven society and environment, the role of information literacy is not only important in research context but also it has become increasingly significant and important – as it creates the basis for lifelong learning ( ACRL, 2000 ). As such, the emphasis of information literacy instruction in the academic library has become on teaching the process of research and providing lifelong learning skills needed for students, faculty members and staff members to function independently to meet their information needs ( Grassian and Kaplowitz, 2001 ). Competency in such skills is essential to full participation in society and work because these skills are regarded as the core ability to maintain lifelong learning ( Jeffrey et al. , 2011 ). Additionally, the ACRL states that information literate learners are lifelong learners, more self-directed, and are able to master content, extend their investigations and assume greater control over their own learning ( ACRL, 2000 ).

Based on the ACRL (2000) definition to be considered an information literate, a person must be able to know when information is required and be able to find, assess and utilise effectively the required information. At the higher education environments, information literacy is often defined as discrete abilities that students require to have in order to find, assess (evaluate), use and share information ethically. Students who are information literate are better equipped for today’s complex information landscape and environment than students who does not possess such skills and abilities ( Mackey and Jacobson, 2004 ).

As information literacy skills play a prominent role in students' academic achievement, international students coming to continue their postgraduate studies in other countries may be at a problem due to lack of or insufficient literacy skills. They potentially experience more challenges than domestic students as the educational system in their home country might be different than from the host university systems. It has been argued that international students have different needs, demands and often encounter different challenges in the foreign universities ( Ademodi, 2011 ; Baron and Strout-Dapaz, 2001 ; Liu, 1993 ; Morrissey and Given, 2006 ; Mu, 2007 ; Natowitz, 1995 ; Song, 2004 ; Wang and Frank, 2002 ).

Some authors such as Kettle (2017) argued that international students’ challenges are related to their (low) information literacy skills and unfamiliarity of the academic setting and library services in which they have landed. In utilising the information for the study, international students share some of the same struggles as domestic students, but also encounter possibly new challenges ( Houlihan et al. , 2017 ). For example, the lack of research capability and information literacy skills may hinder international students to effectively find, retrieve and correctly and ethically use the available information for their academic studies. As a result, this group of students may not be able to effectively use the available library resources and other platforms accessible to them and may produce a low level of motivation and self-efficacy in communicating with the librarians, administrative personnel and the faculty members ( Ayoub, 2016 ). Thus, it could be speculated that understanding the challenges that these students face and exploring the factors associated with these challenges can help academic libraries to find solutions helping student to improve their motivation and self-efficacy and assist them to adjust to the campus culture ( Ayoub, 2016 ). Moreover, Baron and Strout-Dapaz (2001) argued that the major challenges international students face is often associated with the language and communication problems, adjusting to a new educational as well as library system, and general culture adjustments (p. 314).

Moreover, globalisation and advancement in technology provide opportunities for people to travel and to study overseas. In 2016, more than 21,000 international degree students were studying in the Finnish higher education institutions, and the number has increased dramatically during the last few years ( Finnish National Agency for Education, 2018 ). According to the student administration systems at the Finnish universities and also the European Union (EU) and European Economic Area (EEA), Finnish and other EU/EEA students refer to “domestic” students, while “international” students refer to those coming from outside of the EU/EEA. We intent to keep this definition throughout this research.

In general, the constant growth of the international students pursuing their education in other countries than their home universities and specially in the EU region, makes it particularly significant and relevant research endeavour to study information literacy amongst domestic and international students. Therefore, given the dynamic nature of the information environments in the digital age and the population growth of international students, more research is demanded to better understand students' information literacy capabilities and related barriers. Thus, this paper aims to identify the similarities and differences between domestic and international students regarding their information literacy level and investigates the barriers and needs, which is an area that is seldom studied.

What is the difference in the information literacy levels between international and domestic students and what challenges students believe they face in developing information literacy skills?

What kind of supports and services students expect to receive from universities' library staff members?

To address the research questions outlined above, a mixed-methods approach will be used. Through a quantitative approach, a number of semi-structured interviews will be conducted with the domestic and the international students at some of the Finnish universities. Moreover, through a quantitative approach, we developed and distributed a survey questionnaire asking participants to answer a set of questions which are developed to measure their information literacy levels. Understanding the challenges students face and exploring the factors linked with these challenges are important to understand the academic needs of students. The findings of this paper are expected to help the decision-makers at the universities and the library staff members to better understand the academic demands of the students and support them in learning and mastering the information literacy skills they need to succeed in their academic studies.

The rest of this paper is structured as follow: next section provides a thorough overview of the information literacy and academic library services. Next, the research methodology is presented followed by the illustration of the results. Finally, the discussion, conclusion and direction for the future research are provided.

2. Literature review

2.1 information literacy.

With the rapid rise in the amount of information and the growing availability of information sources through information technology (IT), information literacy has swiftly become one of the most essential sets of abilities for lifelong learning ( Riedling, 2006 ). The ACRL (2006) defines information literacy broadly as a set of abilities to identify the need for information, procure the information, evaluate the information and subsequently revise the strategy for obtaining the information, use the information and use it in an ethical and legal manner, and to engage in lifelong learning. Moreover, according to the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals ( CILIP, 2004 ), an information literate person is one who can recognise the need for information, the sources available, how to obtain information, the need to assess outcomes, how to work with or employ results, ethics and accountability of use, how to interact or share one's findings and how to control the findings ( CILIP, 2004 ). Mackey and Jacobson (2004) describe that information literacy is a necessary skill set that provides students for critical thinking in the university, the workplace and everyday life. They go on and argue that students who are information literate are better outfitted for today's complicated environment than students who are not. Thus, becoming information literate is necessary for a person to thrive both academically and professionally.

Exner (2014) discusses that “information literacy is the actual structure around which many academic libraries currently organise their instructional programs” (p. 460). A good number of studies and scholars have examined the significance of teaching information literacy asserting that IL addresses wide range abilities with various implications. For instance, in the context of higher education, Breivik (2005) claimed that education has the responsibility to assist students to obtain research abilities. The author believes that attempts to strengthen students' information literacy skills in university need to happen at the institutional, curriculum and classroom levels. In New Zealand, Mu (2007) found that Asian students had problems in using academic libraries. The findings of the Mu's research clearly showed that librarians need to consider international students' personalities, learning styles, language knowledge and subjects of interests in their education schedules. Hughes (2010) conducted a study regarding international students' experiences and perceptions at two Australian university libraries and librarians. The findings showed that international students had limited prior library use, causing some difficulties they encounter in utilising the library at their host university. Prior studies have shown, international students suffer from low information literacy skills ( Ayoub, 2016 ; Gunnarsson et al. , 2014 ; Jackson and Sullivan, 2011 )

2.2 International students at the Finnish higher education

Globalisation and advancement in technology provide opportunities for people to travel and to study overseas. According to the Finnish National Agency for Education (2018) , the notable number of foreign degree students in higher education are non-EU/EEA students. In 2016, more than 21,000 international degree students were studying in Finnish higher education institutions. The highest number of international students in Finnish universities are from China, Russia and Vietnam ( Finnish National Agency for Education, 2018 ).

International students' perception of libraries services and librarians in the Western world may be varied from what libraries look like in their home university. Many of these students have not had librarians available to help them with their research in their home counties and are often unfamiliar with the library sources of the Western library systems ( Jackson and Sullivan, 2011 ). Therefore, academic libraries play a crucial role in joining international students, not only to universities but also to information literacy abilities they require to achieve ( Jackson and Sullivan, 2011 ). A good number of research studies on students' information literacy were conducted in various countries in the world. These studies ( Knight et al. , 2010 ; Liu, 1993 ; Mu, 2007 ) concentrated principally on the information-seeking behaviours of students and their attitudes towards library services. Song (2004) investigated the attitudes and expectations of international students on using electronic library resources. The results showed that a notable number of students did not have experience with electronic library services in their home countries. Knight et al. (2010) conducted research regarding international students' use of academic libraries at three various college campuses. The study examined why international students do or do not attend the library. Results verified the fact that academic librarians can play an important role in promoting this group of students to use library resources and services.

Moreover, Sin and Kim (2018) , investigated whether international students differ from domestic students in their information needs and difficulties faced. The results showed that international and domestic students are similar in their top-ranked needs and barriers. Finally, Hughes et al. (2018) provided insights into first-year international and domestic students’ skills of using library resources and services. The results showed that the difficulties international students encounter generally relate to the unfamiliarity of the academic environment and library systems at their host university.

In summary, it can be concluded that literature lacks research on the international and domestic students' perceptions of library services, the barriers preventing students to use library services and how information literacy skills can help students to achieve better academic performance. In the next section, we elaborate on the nature of the academic library services.

2.3 Library services

Academic librarians are expected to have a better understanding of the rapidly changing and demands of the different groups of students. Thus, in educating information literacy to students, academic librarians have a critical role to play in order to provide these learners with adequate library services and information literacy abilities. It has been argued that librarians accept that international students encounter several problems in using the library services, including language and communication problems, adapting to a new educational environment, the library system and other cultural changes ( Baron and Strout-Dapaz, 2001 ; Natowitz, 1995 ). In this respect, Baruzzi and Calcagno (2015) claimed that “international students often have limited knowledge about what is accessible to them through the library services and may have experienced a very different type of library systems at their home university libraries” (p. 403).

Therefore, to help this group of students to use library resources efficiently and improving information literacy skills, academic librarians have to give international students particular attention in order to fulfil their unique and complex academic demands. In this sense, Mu (2007) pointed out that “librarians require to consider the characteristics of this group of students and know their learning styles, language ability, and their subjects of interests in order to design practical teaching materials for this group of library users” (p. 578). Consequently, “library professionals who are attuned to the strengths and difficulties of international students can play an essential role in empowering them to become prosperous library users and learners” ( Hughes, 2010 , p. 77).

Library instructions in the higher education institutions can take a diversity of forms, such as workbooks and course-related education ( Eisenberg et al. , 2004 ). Academic libraries suggest myriad choices of drop-in and scheduled classes for undergraduate students, ranging from a fundamental introduction to the library or to specific course-specific research classes for upper-level students ( Baruzzi and Calcagno, 2015 ). McClure and Krishnamurthy (2007) discussed how specialists at the University of Alabama designed the University of Alabama's online Information Page for International Students to solve the cultural and linguistic barriers and clarify the library experience. Harrison and Rourke (2006) , for example, explained how the University of Guelph in Ontario provides a mentoring programme that begins with the students in their first year and continues as they move through their university life. Other library instruction programmes create formal connections with academic departments on the campus. For example, some libraries arrange with English composition courses to deliver information literacy instruction, and librarians cooperate with English instructors to assure that students receive information literacy instruction. A good example of this is what librarians at the University of Arizona did. They co-operated with the university's English composition programme to develop an instructor-led, librarian promoted a way of integrating information literacy instruction into the English composition curriculum ( Sult and Mills, 2006 ). Therefore, it can be concluded that academic librarians play a major role in promoting students in general and international students and in particular to use library resources and services. Thus, the role of library and library assistance is vital to improve information literacy skills of students and using library resources.

3. Research methodology

In this paper, a mixed-methods approach is chosen to investigate and address the difference between international and domestic students regarding their information literacy skills, challenges and needs at the Finnish universities. Mixed-methods research is an approach for collecting and analysing both quantitative and qualitative data within a single study to present a broader understanding of the research problem ( Creswell, 2009 ). Quantitative data were collected via an online survey and the qualitative data were collected via audio-recorded interviews with the both group of students (international and domestic) at the Finnish universities. The semi-structured interview is a qualitative data collection strategy in which the researcher asks interviewees predefined but open-ended questions. Interview is an important data collection strategy enabling the interviewer and the interviewees to have a one to one communication. Furthermore, interviews provide interviewers with the chance to ask for explanations of obscure answers or to provide clarification if a question is not apparent ( Teddlie and Tashakkori, 2009 ). The researcher has more control over the topics of the interview than in unorganised interviews, but in contrast to structured interviews or questionnaires that use closed questions, there is no fixed range of answers to each question. Therefore, we applied both quantitative and qualitative methods to investigate the phenomenon under study.

3.1 Quantitative data collection

In the first phase of data collection, we adopted the existing model from literature to develop a survey questionnaire aiming at measuring information literacy levels and skills of the domestic and the international students in Finland. A modified version of The Beile Test of Information Literacy for Education (B-TILED: O’Neil, 2005 ) was adopted. However, it should be noted that literature provides alternative methods and models to assess IL skill. For example, multiple-choice evaluation model which only evaluates specific knowledge or skills covered in a library instruction session (e.g. Houlson, 2007 ; Samson and Millett, 2003 ). Other model such as The Information Literacy Test (ILT) with lengthy (60) questions in the test have been used by Cameron et al. (2007) and Gross and Latham (2007) . Considering the objectives and the context that this research is taking place, we opt for B-TILED as it deemed appropriate model for our research. The B-TILED test was developed by Beile O'Neil in 2005 and has used by others (see, e.g. Ayoub, 2016 ; Bishop, 2015 ; Magliaro, 2011 ) to evaluate library and information skills. In the development of the B-TILED, O'Neil (2005) aimed at the specific ACRL information literacy objectives to develop four content areas including: (1) identifying, evaluating and selecting tools, (2) demonstrating knowledge of general search strategies, (3) evaluating and selecting sources, and (4) demonstrating knowledge of legal and ethical practices. A modified version of the B-TILED online survey with 20 questions (see Appendix 1 ) was used in this research. Q1–Q8 were aimed at gathering demographic characteristics of the respondents and Q9–Q20 were used to measure library and information skills with multiple choice questions. According to the B-TILED measurement model, a minimum competency for mastery on the B-TILED is 57.5%, which infers that an individual scored lower than this value does not attain competency ( O'Neil, 2005 ). The cut score requires a respondent provides seven correct answers out of the 12 multiple-choice questions.

We collected data in the course of seven weeks in July–August 2019 from four universities in Finland. We used convenience sampling approach and respondents were invited to participate through advertisements in the social media platforms, authors' social media groups and announcements in the university bulletin boards. The criteria for participation were (1) being university students [domestic or international] and (2) using library services at the universities. We sent out 350 invitations and in total 83 students fulfilled the selection criteria (see Table 1 ) with this the response rate is 23.7%.

3.2 Qualitative data collection

In the second stage of the data collection, qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 domestic and 10 international students from four Finnish universities (Åbo Academy University, Tampere University, University of Helsinki and Turku university). Students were from the faculty of humanity, economic or business and social science. These 20 respondents were randomly selected and they all participated in the first phase of the data collection too. Initially, 13 international and 11 domestic students were agreed to participate in the interview. However, in the final stage, three international and one domestic student were not able to participate. Six interviews were held by face-to-face meetings at the Åbo Akademi University, 10 interviews were conducted in other agreed places and four interviews were conducted via Skype. International and domestic students were asked to fill out an interview consent form to confirm the terms. All interviewed domestic students were from Finland (Finnish and Swedish speakers), while international participants were from Iran (four), Vietnam and Russia (each two), Bangladesh and Macedonia (each one), respectively.

All interviews were recorded, the purpose of conducting audio-recorded interviews in this paper was to gather further information and obtain insights about the experiences of the domestic and international students concerning their information literacy needs and the utilisation of library services and instructions. Interviewing both group of students is the best method to learn about their background, and to gain deep knowledge about their experiences with the academic libraries in their home countries and Finland. The interviews were recorded and transcribed, and each interview lasted 30–45 min in average. Students were given numbers as alias names (D1, D2, D3, etc. for the domestic students and I1, I2, I3, etc. for the international students) to protect their identity and anonymity. A qualitative analysis software package (NVivo, v.12), was used to code and analyse the transcripts. Due to library-related terminology used in the interview questions and unfamiliarity of some of the interviewees, the definition of terms was explained to each participant to establish a shared understating of the terms.

4. Descriptive results

The quantitative data were imported into IBM SPSS v.24 for the data analysis. To examine the instrument, we performed an exploratory analysis, i.e. factor analysis. A four-factor solution with eigenvalues above 1 has been extracted with 50.11% explained covariance among the items. The first factor accounted for 16.2% of variance. However, similar to Morner (1993) , we could not find distinct subscales for our test as some items were loaded in more than one construct. Presumably, with more observations or more items a better factor structure result can be obtained. To examine the internal consistency of the data, we ran the reliability test. Kehoe (1995) argued that when there are as few as 15 items, internal consistency value as low as 0.50 can be moderately considered as satisfactory. In our assessment of internal consistency, this value 0.53. As the items were measured with multiple choice questions, K-R 20 which is similar to Cronbach's alpha was assessed. The obtained values were moderate for four content area (1) identifying, evaluating and selecting finding tools was 0.133, for content area (2) demonstrating knowledge of searching techniques was 0.301, value for content area (3) evaluating and selecting sources was 0.447 and finally value for content area (4) knowledge of legal and ethical practices was 0.148.

Table 1 shows the population of the respondents and the country where they came from. The highest number of international students were from Iran, while most of the domestic students were from Finland ( n  = 23). Of 83 respondents, 34 were from EU/EEA or Switzerland degree students (domestic), while the rest participants ( n  = 49) were non-EU/EEA students (international).

Based on the demographic characteristics of the respondents, the majority of the participants were master's degree students ( n  = 55), while there were also PhD students ( n  = 14), bachelor's degree students ( n  = 12), and two participants classified as other. Of 83 students answered the questionnaire, 68.7% were female (domestic: n  = 26 and international: n  = 31), and 31.3% were male (domestic: ( n  = 8) and international: ( n  = 18)). In terms of academic status, 59% of the participants ( n  = 49) were international students and 41% were domestic students ( n  = 34).

The following section reports the results referring to the first part of research question 1, “ what is the difference in the information literacy skills levels between international and domestic students at the Finnish universities” as measured by B-TILED assessment. To assess and examine the participants' information literacy skills, we used Q9–Q20 of the questionnaire (multiple-choice questions). The mean B-TILED score for domestic students ( M = 56.61%, SD = 14.90% ) which was higher than the mean score for the international students ( M = 39.79%, SD = 15.70% ). Considering the minimum rate of competency for mastery on the B-TILED which is 57.5% ( O’Neil, 2005 ), the results show that the passing rate was 14.28% for the international students. This means that out of 49 international students who participated in the survey, only seven students scored above the B-TILED cutting score of 57.5 and have; therefore, attained competency ( Berk, 1986 ). As for domestic students, we observed a better performance such that 21 students (61.76%) out of 34 students scored above the B-TILED cutting score of 57.5.

As shown in Table 2 two-sample t- test was conducted to evaluate the statistical significance of the difference in the scores. The analysis showed a statistically significant difference between the domestic students, who had a higher score, and international students at the 95% confidence level. As a result, we can infer with 95% confidence that the level of information literacy skills of the domestic students is higher than the information literacy skills level of the international students. Table 2 shows the t- test summary for the mean B-TILED scores for both group of the students.

4.1 Description of interview participants

Table 3 provides demographic information about the interviews. The highest number of the international and the domestic participants are five male students and five female students, respectively, at the master level. Additionally, all domestic students were from Finland (Finnish and Swedish speakers), while the number of international participants were four, two and two from Iran, Vietnam and Russia, Bangladesh and Macedonia (each one), respectively. Moreover, interviewees who volunteered to participate were studying at four Finnish universities (Åbo Academy University, Tampere University, University of Helsinki and Turku university) from the faculty of humanity, economic or business and social science.

4.2 Interview results

Interviewees were asked to describe their information literacy skills and how they search for information in the library and what library resources they utilise while searching for the information. In addition, the interviewees were also asked about their perceptions of library resources and services and what library instruction services they would like to be offered for their studies. Four main themes (1) information resources, (2) preferred learning methods, (3) students challenges and (4) students' need were identified from the qualitative data analysis. Using a qualitative data analysis software, i.e. NVivo 12, Table 4 shows the themes along with the sub-themes and interviewees' remarks and comments. For instance, regarding the information resource, interviewees mentioned the use of search engine (Google) is preferred method compared to the use of the library databases and printed book. With regard to preferred learning methods, some of the interviewees (especially international students) mentioned that orientation courses at the beginning of the academic year are needed, while some indicated that they prefer asking directly from the librarians. It is necessary to indicate that these results, however, should be interpreted with caution, due to the limited number of interviews as well as the context where this study took place. Thus, the generalisability of our results must be carefully considered.

4.3 Similarities and differences of both group

Table 4 demonstrates a lack of IL skills across all students and the comparison between the two groups (similarities and differences). It presents various similarities such as, the use of Google and Google Scholar, the use of printed books and library. In addition, international and domestic students expressed that they need additional IL courses and workshops. However, language barriers and dealing with referencing standards are the main problems that only international students encountered.

5. Discussion

5.1 findings and implications.

In this section the main results, in the form of findings and implications are discussed and elaborated.

Finding 1: There was a statistically significant difference between the mean B-TILED score for the domestic students ( M = 56.61% ) and the mean B-TILED score for the international students ( M = 39.79 ). Domestic students' mean B-TILED score is closer to 57.5 B-TILED cutting score, showing that domestic students relatively, as a whole, have acceptable information literacy skills/levels.

Implication 1: This result shows that although the IL level in domestic students is close to 57.5 and there is a significant difference between mean score of international and domestic students; however, we cannot consider domestic students as information literate proficient either. This conclusion is based on the results obtained through both quantitative data and the qualitative data.

Finding 2: In spite of the fact that both groups scored lower than acceptable level of competency for mastery, students from EU/EEA performed significantly better than non-EU/EEA. The results of the interview analysis show that domestic students believe they have relative searching skills for information and using library resources for their research. For instance, one of the interviewees “D7” noted that he used different library services from his childhood, and it is very familiar for him. He continued to say that, using library services is easy and convenient and evaluated his self-efficacy at a very high level.

Implication 2: The plausible reason could be the fact that domestic students are more adapted to the educational environment of their country, systems, advanced technologies and the university that international students might find challenging and negatively impacting their learning of information literacy abilities. International students lack experience utilising library online sources, such as the database, abstracts, online catalogues ( Liu, 1993 ).

Finding 3: International students found using library services challenging and they believe that using Google is easier than library databases. In this regard I8 noted that, she would be more motivated to first search from Google because she is familiar with that and it is easier, if she needs some particular information, she will go to the library system or I10 reported that he would prefer to use Google Scholar rather than library databases because it is much easier. While on the one hand our finding supports earlier finding of ( Rafi et al. , 2019 , p. 203) who indicated that there is a strong association between students' technological skill with using digital tools, utilisation of database resources and browsing networked information on the web. On the other hand, this finding differs from previous findings of ( Samsuddin, et al. , 2019 ) who indicated that libraries are considered as useful social instruments and also act as social exchange tools especially for the special community under privileged and immigrants, to provide an equal opportunity to access economic, political and public resources (p. 41).

Implication 3: These comments most likely stem from the unfamiliarity with the new technology or a system, also lack of searching skills and using proper library terminology, making international students reluctant to use library websites or library databases and will result in a low level of self-efficacy in using the library services.

Finding 4: International students stated that language is a barrier for them and has a negative effect in their learning of information literacy skills and using library services and resources. Also, the majority of the international students noticed the differences between the educational systems and ICT as mediating tools for learning literacy competences in their home country and in Finland and indicated that these are challenging issues. According to Baron and Strout-Dapaz (2001) the main challenges that international students encounter are language and communication problems, adapting to a new educational and library systems.

Implication 4: This finding indicates, as expected, that language is an important factor in using library services, potentially impacting the students' self-efficacy perceptions towards their information literacy skills. It was notable that domestic students obtained their previous studies from universities where the language of instruction and courses were thought in English, making it comfortable for them to learn how to use library services and gaining confidence with respect to their information literacy skills, especially when they do not have to deal with the challenges that lack of sufficient English language skills might impose.

This is essential for understanding and completing the advanced coursework needed for their research and academic education and this can be regarded as a reason why they could achieve better score in B-TILED test. Consequently, international students might benefit from developing their information literacy skills based on their English language skills. The library may consider their language problems and take their needs into consideration while planning information literacy courses and also, e.g. developing workshops concerning referencing methods. International students had inadequate English proficiency and unfamiliarity with the Library of Congress Classification also ( Liu, 1993 )

Finding 5: Both group of students found using proper library terminology and finding valid and relevant information challenging. It should be noted that the number of international students who found it difficult to use valid and relevant articles is twice as the domestic students.

Implication 5: Students should be able to understand the database commands and search terminology, and if they do not have a good searching skill, they may not be able to effectively use the database to search and find the relevant information they want. Another thing is that students may not be familiar with the various advanced systems and technologies available to them in the library, and they may have not had experienced similar technologies in the library in their home country.

Finding 6: Several participants from the both groups of students interviewed in this study may not be aware of the library information literacy services. International students' viewpoint of libraries services and librarians may be varied from what libraries look like in the Western world. Asian students have problems in using academic libraries, as such they did not show a knowledge of the services and resources accessible for their research and study in a Western academic context ( Mu, 2007 )

Implication 6: This indicates that the library may not be efficiently advertising available services to the students. During the interviews with students, they reported their wish to take part in more classes and workshops provided, if any, by the academic library. This may show that the library should consider a more proactive strategy in improving library services to the students. Similar to this finding, Liestman (2000) mentioned that international adult learners clearly have unfamiliarity with many the US library services and the relevant issues. The author addressed the cultural diversity and highlighted that libraries can better satisfy the demands of the international students by determining their requirements, which will improve library instruction.

Finding 7: Both group of students need more library orientations, classes and workshops to improve their information literacy skills. Eisenberg et al. (2004) argued that library instruction in higher education can take a diversity of forms such as classes, online tutorials, workbooks, course-related education or course-integrated instruction.

Implication 7: This may show that students are interested in learning searching skills and are willing to participate in the library orientation events, classes and workshops given to them, especially if these classes and workshops help students to overcome the challenges they face due to their English proficiency and problems. This may indicate that the library should consider planning more classes and workshops targeting mainly international students.

6. Discussions

This paper examined the information literacy skills of the international and the domestic students and how library services are used by both groups of students at the Finnish universities. Besides, the attitudes, thoughts and expectations of students about library services and information literacy abilities, challenges and needs were examined. The library staff members could pay more attention to the challenges and the needs of the students in general and the international students in particular. Many of the students have unique research needs, and they encounter some unique challenges in utilising the library services for research and academic activities. Hence, finding the right solutions to this problem will positively impact the students' academic performances. Based on the findings from the quantitative and qualitative approaches employed in this research in relation to information literacy of the international students, librarians can play a crucial role in enabling students to become successful library users and learners. For instance, academic libraries should develop some courses and workshops that are explicitly designed for the students in general and the international students in particular, preferably at the start of every semester encouraging students to use library services and resources available for them. Moreover, academic libraries should also advertise library services and programmes through the library website and distribute brochures and posters in different places on the campus, the student dormitories and the common places (e.g. open learning spaces).

Academic libraries may also form partnerships with the different departments and encourage them to lead their students to the library and familiarise them with the library services and resources available for them. Academic libraries should cooperate with the faculty members which allow librarians to incorporate library terminology and concepts in the curriculum of the subjects. Students should be obliged to go to the library to accomplish particular assignments or tasks. It is also important that academic libraries arrange more information literacy workshops and classes to encourage students to visit libraries and learn more about possible ways to enhance their information literacy skills. Additionally, to these classes and workshops, the library should offer other workshops specially designed for the international students. Such workshops can focus on enhancing students' searching skills to locate information and using library websites, conducting literature reviews and learning the referencing methods.

Academic libraries should provide effective courses on research methods and library services to the international students, keeping in mind the international students' language and cultural barriers. Finally, academic libraries should develop online guides and instructions for the students or produce some video materials accessible through the library website. These instructions and videos could include information about how to use the library, how to access library resources and the websites, and how to use the particular databases. The library can produce more research guides and videos that are focussing on the international students, and some of them could be translated into different languages, if possible. The library could also produce some brochures regarding the essential services in the library and translate them into different common languages, such as Chinese, Russian and other important languages.

7. Conclusion

This study compares the information literacy level of the domestic and the international students and investigates the expectations, needs and challenges students face in utilising library services. Using the B-TILED ( O'Neil, 2005 ) test, the results indicate that domestic students (both male and female) scored higher than the international students. But neither of the group could be referred to an information literate person. Moreover, the interview analysis results show that international students encounter challenges in using library services due to their English language proficiency, especially at the beginning of their academic studies. Also, the results show that international students became more confident and comfortable in using the library and library resources if they will be provided the necessary library instructions at the beginning of their postgraduate studies. Both groups of students show that they have encountered challenges while searching and utilising library resources, thus affecting their performance. In addition to this, both group of students report that they have poor searching skills in using professional terms to find or to locate the documents (e.g. research articles) and topics they are looking for. Moreover, they indicate that finding valid and relevant information is a real challenge. International students encounter difficulties concerning referencing methods and citations, but are able to improve it over time, should more training be provided. They also want and demand for more workshops and orientation courses focussing on the library services and guidelines as to how to use them. Moreover, students express their need to be more aware of the available library services; for instance, through the university webpages or social media platforms. Overall, the qualitative data analysis shows that international and domestic students face some challenges in developing information literacy and using library resources and services.

All in all, the results of this research suggest that policymakers to consider developing students into lifelong learners and preparing them to develop information literacy skills for the wider environment of work and life.

7.1 Future research

Based on the findings from this paper and the review of the literature, the following suggestions are proposed for the future research. Future research should be conducted with the programme members and librarians to obtain more insights about students' needs in relation to the library research and information literacy skills. Also, future research should be conducted with the faculty member to obtain their viewpoints about students' needs and challenges related to the library research and information literacy skills.

7.2 Limitations

The analyses and results described, in this paper, were mainly focussed on the information literacy level of both international and domestic students at the Finnish universities. Some limitations need to be considered regarding the generalisability of the results presented in this paper. This research was conducted amongst 10 international and 10 domestic students and the findings may not represent an accurate representation of the entire students at the Finnish universities. The distribution of the interviewed group was done on a random basis. Although we attempted to reach as different Finnish universities as possible, we were only managed to collect data from four different universities. Therefore, the result obtained here may not be generalisable to all students at the Finnish universities. Despite the rigorous and frequent efforts to guarantee the validity of the results presented in this paper, it is necessary to recognise the possibility that the survey questionnaire used in this research and the researchers may subjectively have influenced the answers of the interviewees. Reaffirming here that both the interview questions and the researchers used clear and transparent language, allowing the free expression of those who proposed to participate in this research. However, it must be acknowledged amongst the limitations of this study that both written language and verbal communication are liable to misinterpretation.

Characteristics of survey population and participants by country

Descriptive information of the interviewees

Qualitative results

B-TILED Test (Modified)

What is your student status?

bachelor's degree student.

master's degree student.

Doctoral degree student.

Other (please note status _____________)

(2) Which of the following best describes your academic status as a student?

I am an EU/EEA or Switzerland degree student.

I am an EU/EEA or Switzerland exchange student.

I am a non-EU/EEA or Switzerland exchange student.

I am a non-EU/EEA student (International student).

(3) Which of the following is closest to your average score?

Others (specify………….)

(4) What is your country of origin?

…………………………….

(5) What is your gender?

(6) Overall, how would you rate your ability to search the Internet to find information?

I do not know

(7) Overall, how would you rate your ability to search the library to find information?

(8) Have you attended an orientation event organised by your educational institution or library instruction session held in your classroom or library?

I am not sure

(9) Which of the following characteristics best describes scholarly research?

Available in an academic library.

Indexed by bibliographic databases.

Reviewed by experts for publication.

Written by university faculty.

(10) Your professor has assigned you a paper. You are not familiar with the topic, so you decide to read a brief history and summary about it. Which of the following sources would be best?

A book on the topic.

A general encyclopaedia.

An article on the topic.

An encyclopaedia related to your major of study.

(11) Research or periodical databases are designed to include items based on which of the following criteria?

Found on the internet.

Not found on the internet.

Owned by your library.

Relevant subject matter.

(12) Most research and periodical databases have basic and advanced searching interfaces. Which of the following can you do ONLY in advanced searching?

Adding Boolean or search connectors between terms.

Entering multiple search terms.

Search by keyword.

Search multiple terms by field.

(13) Select the set of search terms that best represent the main concepts in the following: What are the health risks associated with the use of drug therapy for hyperactive students?

Drug therapy, health risks, hyperactivity.

Drug therapy, health risks, students.

Drug therapy, hyperactivity, students.

Drugs, hyperactivity, therapy.

(14) Select the set that best represents synonyms and related terms for the concept “college students.”

Colleges, universities, community colleges…

Gen X , students, undergraduates…

Graduate students, freshmen, sophomores …

University, adult learners, educational attendees …

(15) You are using a research database that uses an asterisk (*) as its truncation symbol. When you type in read* you would retrieve records that contained which of the following words?

Examine, peruse, reader, reading.

Peruse, read, reader, reading.

Read, reader, reads, readmit.

Read, reader, reading, reapply.

(16) The following citation is for: Massaro, D. (1991). Broadening the domain of the fuzzy logical model of perception. In H. L. Pick, Jr., P. van den Broek and D. C. Knill (Eds), Cognition: Conceptual and methodological issues (pp. 51–84). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

A chapter in a book.

A journal article.

An Eric document.

(17) Your professor suggested you read a particular article and gave you the following citation: Shayer, M. (2003). Not just Piaget, not just Vygotsky. Learning and Instruction, 13 (5), 465–485. Which of the following would you type into the library's catalogue to locate the actual article?

Author search: Shayer.

Journal title search: Learning and Instruction.

Journal title search: Not just Piaget, not just Vygotsky.

Subject search: Piaget and Vygotsky.

(18) Based on the following paragraph, which sentence should be cited? (1) Technology use in the schools is often characterized as a potentially dehumanizing force. (2) Perhaps the fear that the virtual world may lead to passivity and isolation, at the expense of literal social interaction, is valid. (3) Certainly, educators must ask which uses of technology result in increased learning and a better quality of life. (4) To address these issues, Hunter has proposed that students work in groups with the computer peripheral to the group and the teacher acting as facilitator.

(19) When is it ethical to use the ideas of another person in a research paper?

It is never ethical to use someone else's ideas.

Only if you do not use their exact words.

Only when you give them credit.

Only when you receive their permission.

(20) Browsing a weekly news magazine, you come across an article that discusses the future of space exploration. As you are teaching this topic you decide to make copies of the article and share it with your class. Which of the following concepts makes it legally permissible to reproduce portions of works for educational purposes without permission?

Freedom of information.

Intellectual freedom.

Ademodi , O. ( 2011 ), “ Reference service in academic libraries: accommodation of international students ”, Library Philosophy and Practice , Vol. 4 , pp. 1 - 10 .

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Academy of Finland project “The Impact of Information Literacy in the Digital Workplace” [grant number 295743].

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Your professor has specified that you are to use scholarly (or primary research or peer-reviewed or refereed or academic) articles only in your paper. What does that mean?

Scholarly or primary research articles are peer-reviewed , which means that they have gone through the process of being read by reviewers or referees  before being accepted for publication. When a scholar submits an article to a scholarly journal, the manuscript is sent to experts in that field to read and decide if the research is valid and the article should be published. Typically the reviewers indicate to the journal editors whether they think the article should be accepted, sent back for revisions, or rejected.

To decide whether an article is a primary research article, look for the following:

• The author’s (or authors') credentials and academic affiliation(s) should be given;
• There should be an abstract summarizing the research;
• The methods and materials used should be given, often in a separate section;
• There are citations within the text or footnotes referencing sources used;
• Results of the research are given;
• There should be discussion   and  conclusion ;
• With a bibliography or list of references at the end.

Caution: even though a journal may be peer-reviewed, not all the items in it will be. For instance, there might be editorials, book reviews, news reports, etc. Check for the parts of the article to be sure.   

You can limit your search results to primary research, peer-reviewed or refereed articles in many databases. To search for scholarly articles in  HOLLIS , type your keywords in the box at the top, and select  Catalog&Articles  from the choices that appear next.   On the search results screen, look for the  Show Only section on the right and click on  Peer-reviewed articles . (Make sure to  login in with your HarvardKey to get full-text of the articles that Harvard has purchased.)

Many of the databases that Harvard offers have similar features to limit to peer-reviewed or scholarly articles.  For example in Academic Search Premier , click on the box for Scholarly (Peer Reviewed) Journals  on the search screen.

Review articles are another great way to find scholarly primary research articles.   Review articles are not considered "primary research", but they pull together primary research articles on a topic, summarize and analyze them.  In Google Scholar , click on Review Articles  at the left of the search results screen. Ask your professor whether review articles can be cited for an assignment.

A note about Google searching.  A regular Google search turns up a broad variety of results, which can include scholarly articles but Google results also contain commercial and popular sources which may be misleading, outdated, etc.  Use Google Scholar  through the Harvard Library instead.

About Wikipedia .  W ikipedia is not considered scholarly, and should not be cited, but it frequently includes references to scholarly articles. Before using those references for an assignment, double check by finding them in Hollis or a more specific subject  database .

Still not sure about a source? Consult the course syllabus for guidance, contact your professor or teaching fellow, or use the Ask A Librarian service.

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The relevance of academic libraries in the contemporary university

Do libraries still have a place in today’s university? This is a question I often encounter in conversation, with some suggesting that due to the web libraries have outlived their usefulness and are on the brink of disappearing. “Aren’t they all going digital?” is a typical question by well-meaning colleagues who seem worried about my job security. I appreciate the concern and understand how difficult it is to separate the brick-and-mortar library buildings on campus (and the traditional academic images they evoke) from the web pages and online resources that most students and faculty use daily to seek the information they need. In truth, the popular conception of the ‘library’ has lagged far behind the reality of what libraries have become in the twenty-first century.

However, the point is well taken. For better or worse, in an era where digital resources abound, and students are accustomed to immediate online access to every kind of service and information, academic libraries must continually reinvent themselves to remain relevant in the university. Once traditional strongholds of print materials and cavernous study halls, libraries are now challenged to adapt to changing student needs and rapidly evolving scholarly landscapes.

The academic library should be an exciting center for learning and growth that is an active part of every student’s educational experience. The following are some ways that NMSU Library is reframing its role as the center of knowledge on campus:

Expanding Electronic Collections

Electronic publishing has completely changed how students and faculty access and use information. NMSU Library staff work with electronic publishers to offer access to a continually expanding collection of e-books, online journals, databases, and multimedia resources that cater to diverse learning styles and research needs. The library is also digitizing its archives and special collections so researchers can view them online, and efforts to implement user-friendly interfaces empower students to navigate the vast digital landscape easily.

Emerging Technologies

Last fall, NMSU Library opened the Emerging Technologies Learning Lab. In this technology experience space, any NMSU student may come to develop or enhance their ‘digital fluency’ skills using high-end computers, 3D scanners and printers, and other equipment. Digital fluency refers to students’ level of skill or attainment where they can visualize a creative product or outcome, identify the appropriate tools needed to realize their vision, and then bring the vision to reality in digital form. Digital fluency is a next step beyond information literacy, enabling students to be more competitive in academia and the employment marketplace.

Reimagining Physical Spaces

While the online world offers unprecedented opportunities, the experience that on-campus physical spaces provide students remains integral to their academic experience. NMSU Library has made many additions and improvements to study and learning areas so they are more comfortable and convenient for students to use. New individual study pods, lounge chairs, and tables are available for students at both libraries. This year, the library’s group study spaces will be redesigned and expanded to offer more opportunities for collaboration and creativity.

In addition, the NMSU librarians curate engaging exhibits, events, and cultural programs that reflect the diversity of the campus academic community. Whether showcasing local artists, hosting author talks, or organizing creative activities, the library creates inclusive spaces that celebrate cultural diversity. By encouraging a sense of belonging, NMSU Library strengthens its relevance as part of the university.

Engaging Library Instruction Services

In addition to serving as repositories of knowledge, academic libraries are centers of learning in their own right. NMSU Library offers research assistance, data management education, and copyright guidance. It collaborates with faculty and academic departments to tailor these services to meet the evolving needs of students and researchers across disciplines. The library also assists community members through its Patent and Trademark Resource Center.

NMSU Library’s Reference and Research Services department offers credit courses, workshops, and one-on-one consultations that teach students how to evaluate information, navigate online databases, and utilize digital tools effectively. They also partner with academic faculty to develop course-specific instruction sessions to ensure students graduate with the critical thinking and research skills they need for lifelong learning and professional development.

Like other academic libraries, NMSU Library faces many upcoming challenges and opportunities. However, I am pleased that our faculty and staff have kept pace with the changing times and the new demands of the digital age. They have developed new library services for students, protected the cultural heritage of southern New Mexico, implemented cutting-edge technology infrastructure, and fostered productive collaborations with academic faculty. These accomplishments enable the library to continue to thrive as an essential part of the academic community.

Kevin Comerford is the the Dean of the Library at New Mexico State University. He may be reached at [email protected] .

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Lay summary, skeletal stem and progenitor cells in bone development and repair.

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Dana Trompet, Seppe Melis, Andrei S Chagin, Christa Maes, Skeletal stem and progenitor cells in bone development and repair, Journal of Bone and Mineral Research , 2024;, zjae069, https://doi.org/10.1093/jbmr/zjae069

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Bone development, growth, and repair are complex processes involving various cell types and interactions, with central roles played by skeletal stem and progenitor cells. Recent research brought new insights into the skeletal precursor populations that mediate intramembranous and endochondral bone development. Later in life, many of the cellular and molecular mechanisms determining development are reactivated upon fracture, with powerful trauma-induced signaling cues triggering a variety of postnatal skeletal stem/progenitor cells (SSPCs) residing near the bone defect. Interestingly, in this injury context, the current evidence suggests that the fates of both SSPCs and differentiated skeletal cells can be considerably flexible and dynamic, and that multiple cell sources can be activated to operate as functional progenitors generating chondrocytes and/or osteoblasts. The combined implementation of in vivo lineage tracing, cell surface marker-based selection, single-cell molecular analyses, and high-resolution in situ imaging has strongly improved our insights into the diversity and roles of developmental and reparative stem/progenitor subsets, while also unveiling the complexity of their dynamics, hierarchies, and relationships. Albeit incompletely understood at present, findings supporting lineage flexibility and possibly plasticity among sources of osteogenic cells challenge the classical dogma of a single primitive, self-renewing, multipotent stem cell driving bone tissue formation and regeneration from the apex of a hierarchical and strictly unidirectional differentiation tree. We here review the state of the field and the newest discoveries in the origin, identity, and fates of skeletal progenitor cells during bone development and growth, discuss the contributions of adult SSPC populations to fracture repair, and reflect on the dynamism and relationships among skeletal precursors and differentiated cell lineages. Further research directed at unraveling the heterogeneity and capacities of SSPCs, as well as the regulatory cues determining their fate and functioning, will offer vital new options for clinical translation toward compromised fracture healing and bone regenerative medicine.

Skeletal progenitor cells are crucial for bone development and growth, as they provide the cellular building blocks (chondrocytes and osteoblasts) that form the cartilage and bone tissues that the skeleton is composed of. In adult life, the occurrence of a bone fracture reactivates similar tissue-forming mechanisms, starting with the trauma triggering various postnatal skeletal stem/progenitor cells (SSPCs) residing near the bone defect to divide and migrate. These cells subsequently generate functional fracture-repairing cells by differentiating into mature chondrocytes and/or osteoblasts. In recent years, the combined use of various advanced research approaches and new techniques has strongly improved our insights into the origin, identity, fates, and roles of developmental and reparative skeletal stem cells and progenitor subsets. Concomitantly, this research also unveiled considerable complexity in their dynamics, diversity, hierarchies, and relationships, which is incompletely understood at present. In this review, we discuss the state of the field and the newest discoveries in the identity and roles of skeletal stem and progenitor cells mediating bone development, growth, and repair. Further research on these cell populations, including determining their exact nature, fate, and functioning, and how they can be harvested and regulated, is critical to develop new treatments for non-healing fractures.

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