Effectiveness of Physical Academic Libraries in a Digitally-Evolved World

Abstract

This paper aims at establishing the effectiveness of physical academic libraries in a digitally evolved world. It tends to explore the priorities of academic libraries in line with the changing global environment. Data was gathered through desk research and content analysis approach. Data generated from analysis of literature were augmented by brainstorming and interaction with professional colleagues from different academic libraries within the south-east geo-political zone of Nigeria. The paper described the physical library and nature of academic libraries with reference to the digital world, explain the attributes of the digitally-evolved world and need for transforming physical academic libraries in line with changing global space, highlight the constraints to the effectiveness of academic libraries in a digital world, discuss the keys to effective services delivery in physical academic libraries as it relates to the digital world and outline the prospects for the physical academic libraries in a digital world. The implications for librarians in the digital world were described. The paper concludes that most libraries are still at the analogue stage and that despite the overwhelming influence of Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) on the services provided by libraries, the physical space of the academics libraries is still relevant.