Jisc has been at the forefront of supporting digital transformation in UK higher education through our digital transformation framework and toolkit. We are starting a new phase of this work to design library pathways into the framework so that libraries can use it to amplify and enhance their role and impact in digital transformation within their institution.
Why are we doing this?
Following a call for participation, we had a great response with over 40 UK higher education institutions expressing an interest. This level of interest evidences a desire for libraries to accelerate their digital development work.
For many years they have been responding to a volatile information environment, increasing student demand and considerable university funding shortfalls and they are in a strong position to share the extensive knowledge of digital solutions accumulated as providers of support for students, researchers and faculty.
What are the challenges libraries are facing?
Libraries today face multifaceted challenges in an evolving information landscape. They must:
- Manage escalating IT infrastructure costs
- Procure advanced library systems
- Transform from traditional book repositories to comprehensive service providers
These transformations encompass:
- Reimagining physical spaces
- Providing new digital tools
- Deploying advanced search mechanisms
- Procuring and curating diverse resources
- Offering seamless access to a vast, varied digital information ecosystem
Additionally, libraries have evolved expertise in:
- Strategic resource management
- Timely procurement of relevant materials
- Anticipating and meeting the transformative needs of their institutions
- Managing complex data in a multiplicity of forms including metadata, catalogues, databases, library management systems, controlled vocabularies, images, repositories, websites and so forth
This evolution has already required libraries to balance cost constraints with the imperative to deliver high-quality, diverse services that cater to the modern user’s expectations and the institution’s academic or research goals. It also requires careful consideration of the human infrastructure needs in terms of skills and effective deployment of staff resources.
Libraries still have a long journey ahead of them to enhance their digital transformation and we are looking forward to working with colleagues to jointly design library-focused approaches to our existing framework in support of their endeavours.
Photo by John Schnobrich on Unsplash
Expected outcomes
This is a piece of innovation work to extend the existing framework for use in a library context. We will work together with our partners and members using Jisc’s co-design methods.
More information
To find out more about the initiative, please visit the Jisc website: Digital transformation library lens: supporting digital practice in academic libraries.
You can find out more about the challenges in higher education, and the opportunities for shared solutions to them, in our recent report produced in partnership with KPMG: Collaboration for a Sustainable Future.
