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1. Introduction
Digital transformation represents a significant shift resulting from the adoption of transformative technologies at the individual, organizational and societal levels (Westerman et al., 2014). Digital transformation and digitization in organizations have been underway since the early 1950s. Over the years, they have evolved alongside current activities and transaction processing. In addition, computational and analytical capabilities, machine learning, big data, applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things, along with cloud computing, have played significant roles in influencing various organizations and industries (Heavin and Power, 2018). According to the World Economic Forum’s (2018) report, the digital revolution will bring all industries under its umbrella in the next decade. It is no longer just an economic discussion, but all institutions are forced to reinvent themselves under the shadow of this transformation.
Universities, as one of the institutions affected by the digital revolution, are undergoing significant changes. The evolution of universities is a strong and fast-moving current that encompasses all of its subunits, including academic libraries (Arasth and Khabare, 2021). Since libraries are a significant subset of universities, any program applied to universities will directly impact libraries as well (Azimi, 2017). Therefore, academic libraries have also been affected by the digital transformation of universities.
Since a long time, university libraries are one of the important and well-known pillars in the field of educational and research activities in the structure of universities. This role and position have not seen a serious challenge before the present era and have not witnessed rapid and significant changes in its nature and function. However, with universities increasingly embracing digital transformation, the emergence of digital technologies and their impact on the behavioral culture of library users, we are witnessing significant changes in the expectations and preferences of library users. These changes pose important challenges for the functions of university libraries. In fact, the distance and gap between the speed of digital transformation and the state of libraries has made the view and expectation of academic libraries different from the past, and the libraries are not able to meet the information needs and demands of users in an optimal way (Azimi, 2017).
Academic libraries will continue to play a vital role in educational systems as long as they meet the...