Acceleration of digital learning and what it means for libraries

ABSTRACT

Learning in Higher Education is changing across the globe, driven by demographic and economic shifts which combine to create an unprecedented increase in demand for access to high-quality, flexible online provision. This trend has been accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. In this shifting landscape, libraries also have to adapt. In this chapter, we have drawn on our experience at the University of London of running a digital library for large cohorts of distance learners all over the globe, and have provided detailed, practical information about running such a service, in the hope that this may be useful as a comparator, benchmark, or guide for the interested reader. Creating a successful digital library which meets the learning, teaching, and research needs of an academic institution is not a simple transference of physical library collections and practices to an online version. It calls for a thorough understanding of the distance learners’ individual learning and information needs, the information environment in which they work, and the barriers to accessing and using the library and other information sources. In addition, it requires technically competent librarians, a robust digital infrastructure, carefully selected and licensed digital collections, an integrated information and digital literacy framework, close partnerships with faculty, commercial publishers, and senior management. Although fewer staffing resources and less accommodation are required to run a wholly digital library compared with running a physical library, it is not an inexpensive undertaking. © 2021 David Baker and Lucy Ellis Published by Elsevier Ltd.