Purpose Digital literacy has become a widely studied topic for connecting people, participation in government and public affairs. It encourages library professionals to train students and effectively acquire, preserve and disseminate knowledge. Academic libraries involve using digital technology improved the students’ level of digital literacy and technological skills. This paper aims to understand the students’ technological competence in using database resources and searching for online information. In addition, to evaluate the training contents and designated instructors on digital literacy education, the study also focuses on digitally exposed students’ learning behavior, the library management and students’ academic interaction on new technological trends. Design/methodology/approach This study uses a quantitative method for which primary data were collected from university students using a structured research questionnaire. Through targeted random sampling techniques, 1,500 printed questionnaires were distributed among students, and 1,266 (84.4%) responses were received. The authors applied descriptive statistics to analyze the demographic information of male and female students. The statistical technique Chi-square test (χ2) was applied using SPSS to determine the association between variables. Moreover, Bonferroni correction for the new a value [modified = 0.05/number of possible comparisons/analysis for each question shown in Tables (II-IX)] was also used to avoid a family-wise error. Findings The results inferred a strong association between students’ technological skill with using digital tools, utilization of database resources and browsing networked information on the Web. The association between universities in terms of recruiting designated instructors on digital literacy education, introducing ICT based curriculum and the association between library management in maintaining a regular training program on digital literacy demonstrated a negative association. Besides, the findings disclosed that student’s digital exposure is not the forcing factor in developing technological competence, but found to be a more encouraging factor. It was also concluded that library technological involvement significantly improves student technology-based learning skills. Practical implications The results obtained after the analyzed data may help library management in providing long-term strategy for improving digital literacy education and training for students in the effective utilization of technology for better academic performance and social integration. Originality/value The study was based on quantitative methods using a questionnaire. Extensive database coverage and digital literacy skills based on coach input can improve student performance and academic quality.

Purpose Digital library database resources have a significant impact on stimulating the research culture in higher education. The use of digital databases makes it possible to understand intellectual growth, research productivity, planning and identification of user information needs. Evaluating the effectiveness of user database resource utilization and research, the purpose of this study is to assist management in developing an excellent academic policy. Design/methodology/approach This study establishes a quantitative method to analyze the productivity of academic research using digital databases. The secondary data extracted from the databases of 52 universities provided by Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the literature published on the Institute of Scientific Information (ISI) Web of Science. The statistical technique simple linear regression was used to analyze the data for understanding the impact of independent variables the “digital databases” on the dependent variable “research productivity”. Findings The result of the coefficient of multiple determination, R-squared, R2 0.679, indicated 67 per cent impact of the predictor on the outcome variable. However, the standardized coefficient Beta 0.824 revealed 82 per cent impact of the individual predictor on the outcome variable. Overall, the result of linear regression showed a significant effect of independent variables on the dependent variable. Besides, the result of correlation and the strength of association between the database resources and the academic publication was significant (p < 0.005). Practical implications This research work is a supportive tool for managing gaps and promoting the development of necessary measures to develop strategies and solutions to create a better academic environment. The ultimate use of standard database resources can foster higher academic research to develop innovative ideas and improve researchers’ cognitive abilities. Originality/value From Pakistan’s point of view, this study is the first one that gives insight into the intellectual growth of young researchers in higher education. The study provides first-hand information on the use of database resources and their significant impact on the productivity of academic research.

Purpose The purpose of this bibliometric analysis is to quantify the prominence and impact of published literature within the field. The research has been conducted with the intent of obtaining the expansion and characteristics of the literature on digital library. Design/methodology/approach More than 4,206 documents found in the period of 2002-2016 were collected from the ISI Web of Science and were analyzed to explore the annual productivity, yearly citation, most cited articles, prolific authors, eminent journals of the subject, productivity of institutes and contribution of countries. These results are based on the types of documents (articles, reviews, proceedings papers, book reviews, editorial materials and book chapters). Findings The core findings are that the most productive year of publication was 2016, and the growth of citation increased rapidly; the top source of title is electronic library. The result shows that the USA dominates in the research output, with Illinois University securing the first position; the most prolific author is Fourie I from South Africa. In the document types category, the most cited sources are research articles. Originality/value This research is useful for the researchers interested in the field of bibliometrics as it postulates an inclusive indication of provenance in the field of library and information science.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to analyze the views and capabilities of librarians for the implementation of Big Data analytics in academic libraries of Pakistan. The study also sets out to check the relationship between the required skills of librarians and the application of Big Data analytics. Design/methodology/approach A survey was conducted to gather the required data from the targeted audience. The targeted population of the study was Head/In charge library managers of Pakistani university libraries, which were 173 in total. All the respondents (academic librarians) were invited through an e-mail to respond to the survey voluntarily. Out of 173 respondents from higher education commission of Pakistan chartered university libraries, 118 librarians (68.2 percent) completed the survey that was finally considered, and after checking data, recommendation for analysis was made. To analyze the collected data, statistical technique Pearson correlation was applied using statistical package for social science version 25 to know the strength of the mutual correlation of variables. Findings The findings of the study show a strong correlation between the required competencies and skills of librarians for the implementation of Big Data analytics in academic libraries. In all variables of the study, the correlation was highly significant, except two of the variables, including “concept of Big Data” and “different forms of data.” The study also reveals that most of the respondents were well aware of the concept of Big Data analytics. Moreover, they were using a large amount of data to carry out various library operations, including the acquisition, preservation, curation and analysis of data. Originality/value This study is significant in the sense that it fills a substantial gap in the literature regarding the perspective of librarians on Big Data analytics.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to present a quantitative analysis of the Library and Information Science (LIS) scholarly literature published worldwide. Design/methodology/approach The ISI Web of Science database was used as a source for extracting the data of published documents during the period 2003–2017. The analysis of the published literature was based on the following indicators: research productivity of each county, annual publications, annual citations, highly cited articles, highly cited LIS journals, most productive institutions in the field of LIS and most prolific authors. The types of documents included in this study were research articles, conference proceeding papers, book reviews and editorials. Findings The findings revealed that the USA had the highest overall output of LIS scholarly publications. The year 2016 was identified as the most productive year for the number of publications, whereas 2017 was identified as the most productive year for the number of citations. “Impact of data sources on citation counts and rankings of LIS faculty: Web of Science versus Scopus and Google Scholar” was the most highly cited article. The Journal of Medical Library Association was the most highly cited journal in LIS. Indiana University from the USA was the most productive LIS research institution. Mike Thelwall, from the UK, is identified as the most prolific author in LIS. Originality/value The study will be of interest for those researchers, who intend to conduct bibliometric research studies in LIS.