Academic Librarianship and Information Research

Academic Librarianship and Information Research

Challenges and Solutions for Creating a National Academic Digital Library

Document Type : Research Article

Authors
1 Librarian, Central Library , Shiraz University of Technology, Shiraz, Iran.
2 Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Faculty of Education and Psychology, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran.
3 Department of Knowledge and Information Science, Islamic World Science & Technology Monitoring and Citation Institute, Shiraz, Iran.
10.22059/jlib.2026.419232.1836
Abstract
Objective: The present study aimed to identify the key challenges and propose strategies for the development of a national academic digital library. This applied study employed a qualitative approach based on Grounded Theory.
Method: Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 14 faculty members and digital library experts, selected using snowball sampling. The data were then analyzed based on the components of the paradigm model, including the central phenomenon, causal conditions, contextual conditions, intervening conditions, action/interaction strategies, and consequences. Data coding was carried out in three stages: open coding (271 codes), axial coding (63 codes), and selective coding (34 codes).
Results: Based on the research findings, the core phenomenon under study comprised integrated digital management, resource preservation and development, advanced user experience, and data governance. The “causal conditions” included institutional policy-making, environmental pressures, technical capabilities, and scientific collaborations. The “contextual conditions” were constituted by technical standards, digital infrastructure, governance and coordination, laws and regulations, resources and budget, and organizational culture, while the “action/interaction strategies” comprised awareness-raising, planning, resource provision, content development, governance, and services. The “intervening conditions” also encompassed central governance, executive management, resources and infrastructure, ownership and rights, and organizational culture. Finally, the “consequences” for establishing a national academic digital library included digital access, improvement of library services, cost management, resource integration, resource preservation, development of digital services, and information equity.
Conclusion: The establishment of a national academic digital library necessitates a comprehensive and multidimensional approach, wherein integrated management, standardization of processes, reinforcement of technical and legal infrastructures, and national collaboration among relevant stakeholders constitute its fundamental prerequisites; ultimately, the realization of these components can pave the way for the achievement of information equity, scientific development, and the enhancement of library service quality within the national higher education system.
Keywords

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