Information needs vary across settings, and evolve within contexts, over time. However, the rapidly changing information landscape has provided opportunities for information agencies to tailor their use of technology to engage with users and better meet their needs (Ballard & Johns, 2024; Woolls, Dawkins & Valenza, 2024). Through digitisation, hybrid collection development and online information access points, libraries are working to ensure information access is future-proofed and increasingly responsive to patron needs.
Digitisation is a technological advancement that is enabling information agencies to better meet the needs of a globalised clientele. The ability to attach metadata to digitised copies allow resources to be more easily found and used by patrons (Hider, 2018). The Biodiversity Heritage Library (BHL), within the Melbourne Museum, is a prime example of how digitisation is developing relationships and addressing the changing technology needs of users. By digitising existing biodiversity literature, and making it openly accessible, the BHL library has connected naturalists, researchers and scientists from across the world. Through digitisation, a larger number of patrons can more easily gather relevant information, using database functions such as search, filter and sort (Onunka et al., 2023). With contributions from 62 institutions and over 650 000 pages already digitised, the BHL project is an exemplar of collaboration through technology.
In response to changing technological needs, libraries have expanded to curate their collections across digital domains (Onunka et al., 2023). Since its development in 1930, the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) has transitioned to a hybrid collection aiming to build relationships with users across education related contexts, including edu-research, professional resources, corporate services and assessment delivery. ACER’s online repository of publications ensures that up to date information is available to meet the unique needs of their diverse patron base. Further developing relationships with their users, ACER offers an in-house cataloguing service for educational publications, often at no charge, to allow new material to be added to their catalogue and own hybrid collection for research and interlibrary loans.
Other institutions, such as Melbourne Grammar School, also utilise online spaces to organise and collate information. Drawing together Britannica, ProQuest and EBSCOhost, the school’s LibGuide supports students to see the library as an essential partner in their research journey by presenting reliable sources in an age appropriate, web-based format, complimenting an extensive physical collection (Dobbs et al., 2013). Similarly, the State Library Victoria also provides patrons with access to digital databases, including a digitised catalogue of their current collections, many viewable as images. Alongside this, research librarians are available via phone, email and face-to-face to connect with visitors and assist with research and information needs. This strong culture of service strengthens ties with the community the library serves (Ballard & Johns, 2024).
Libraries have long served as hubs that serving the information needs of patrons and building connections with their communities. By evolving to provide digitised resources, carefully curated hybrid collections and online information access points libraries continue to be an invaluable service, in an evolving 21st Century context.
References
Ballard, S. D., & Johns, S. K. (2024). Elevating the school library: building positive perceptions through brand behavior. ALA Editions.
Dobbs, A. W., Sittler, R., Cook, D., & Library and Information Technology Association. (2013). Using libguides to enhance library services a LITA guide. ALA TechSource.
Hider, P. (2018). Information resource description: creating and managing metadata (Second edition.). Facet.
Merga, M. K. (2022). School libraries supporting literacy and wellbeing. Facet.
Nadarajah, A. (2025). ALIA Blog: regional libraries reaching millions on a shoestring. https://alia.org.au/Web/Web/News/Articles/2024/January-2024/Regional_libraries_reaching_millions.aspx
Onunka, O., Onunka, T., Fawole, A. A., Adeleke, I. J., & Daraojimba, C. (2023). Library and information services in the digital age: Opportunities and challenges. Acta Informatica Malaysia, 7(1), 113-121.
Woolls, B., Dawkins, A. M., & Valenza, J. (2024). The school library manager: leading through change (Seventh edition). Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited.