Analysis of digital transformation of services in a research library

Abstract

Purpose The Moravian Library has noted a long-term decline in the total number of visitors and the number of books either lent or used for reference, a phenomenon, which is generally explained by the increased availability of digitised books and a wider selection of electronic services in general. This paper aims to examine whether this is indeed the case, comparing the usage of the physical and digital libraries. The study also examines whether all the elements of library usage change accordingly with the digital transformation of the library’s services, what are the actual implications of this trend for research libraries in general, determining an ideal model for such a library; it proposes possible solutions to the challenges digital transformation brings about. At the same time, the study attempts to answer the question whether the overall number of library users is actually decreasing or increasing and what impact digital transformation has on the reach of library services. Design/methodology/approach Comparative analysis of data with offline usage statistics on one hand and data obtained via backend logging and Google analytics on the other, and an evaluation of a questionnaire survey among digital library users. Findings The data analysis demonstrates that it is not only possible but also even desirable, to gradually replace traditional library services with a digital infrastructure without major complications. Originality/value The case study provides statistically substantiated examples of a successful partial digital transformation in a research library in the Czech Republic.

Thriving in the post-Covid-19 era: a new normality for libraries' service offering

“…, 2020). Hence, libraries should pay attention to their digital transformation, making an effort to augment the users' experience (Indrák and Pokorná, 2021). Digitization should go further the dematerialization of archives and collections, recontextualizing libraries' conventional activities in the digital domain to expand the points of contact with the audience (Lampert and Vaughan, 2009).…”

Digitalna transformacija u Knjižnici i čitaonici Bogdana Ogrizovića u Zagrebu

“…Digitalna transformacija u upravljačkom smislu podrazumijeva organizacijsku promjenu (Deja, Rak and Bell, 2021) primjenom informacijske i komunikacijske tehnologije kao podrške digitalnoj kulturi organizacija i njezine promjene nabolje, promjenu poslovnog modela kojim organizacija nude jedan ili više korisničkih segmenata, strukturu organizacije za stvaranje, marketing i konkretizaciju poslovnih planova (Gong and Ribiere, 2020). Osim tehnologija, digitalna transformacija uključuje promjenu struktura, organizacije, kulture i ljudskih resursa (Indrák and Pokorná, 2021). Digitalna transformacija odnosi se na tri ključna područja: ljude -promjena u organizacijskoj kulturi bez koje nema transformacije; procese -digitalizacija radnih procesa; i tehnologiju -niz važnih odluka o upotrebni tehnologija (Ilieva and Gaydarov, 2021).…”

Leveraging Digital Preservation Coalition Rapid Assessment Model on Digital Library Transformation: Conceptual Paper

“…Therefore, the obvious digitization of books is only one aspect of the digital transformation of libraries. It can also have an impact on the structure and overall goals of the library, such as changing it from a "book-centered" knowledge center to a "Technology supported learning-center," where online learning services and cutting-edge technological systems make it simple to access a new learning culture [12].…”