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1. Introduction
Emerging technologies have transformed the field of librarianship, creating opportunities and roles in the digital era (Bosque and Lampert, 2009). This changing landscape of information and technology influences the skills and competencies needed by Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals (Santos, 2018). Digital skills are essential for librarians to develop digital literacy (DL) and become proficient in using modern technology tools (Borbély, 2022). DL is “the ability to access, manage, understand, integrate, communicate, evaluate and create information safely and appropriately through digital technologies” (Law et al., 2018, p. 6). The United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 4 – Quality Education, specifically the Thematic indicator 4.4.2. aims to raise the number of youth and adults with digital literacy skills (Law et al., 2018; UNESCO Institute for Statistics, 2018). Libraries are recognized institutions for helping improve outcomes across the SDGs [International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), 2016]. Digital operations are now the standard for libraries. Libraries use modern technology to enable access to digital resources and integrate them into their services [International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA), 2010]. Digital libraries are typically open systems and services that facilitate the progression of knowledge and culture, encompass curated collections of digital resources and usually use a repository-focused architecture (Calhoun, 2014). It is evident from the above duties that librarians need to possess above-average digital abilities (Borbély, 2022).
The public library is the most inclusive public institution in the 21st century (Strover, 2019). The IFLA highlighted the role of libraries and librarians in offering DL as one of its core services (IFLA, 2017). In the Philippines, the number of public libraries grew because of the Republic Act (R.A.) 7743, an act providing for the establishment of Congressional, city and municipal libraries and barangay reading centers throughout the Philippines (Philippines, 1994). As defined by the Implementing Rules and Regulations of R.A. 7743, a barangay reading center is “a public library that is located, established by, and maintained by a barangay, with the primary purpose of serving the library and information needs of barangay residents.” The barangay is the lowest tier of governance (Philippines, 1994). As of 2018, there are 1,455 public libraries affiliated with the National Library of the Philippines (NLP). However, only 40% of them are...