Digital accessibility is an emerging service design challenge for academic libraries as access to information increasingly depends on digital service pathways, including library websites, discovery systems, authentication processes, and public workstations. When these service components are not accessible, libraries risk undermining their core function of enabling independent and equitable access to knowledge. Despite growing digital transformation in higher education, many institutions, particularly in resource-constrained contexts, struggle to integrate accessibility into routine library service design and operations. This study investigates how accessibility barriers develop across academic library service pathways and presents an operational model to support inclusive information access. Using a qualitative case study at an African university library, the research combined a WCAG-aligned evaluation of key digital access points with focus groups involving students with disabilities and interviews with library staff. The findings show that physical, digital, and service-interaction barriers accumulate along the access journey, increasing dependence on mediated assistance and limiting independent use of information resources. The article introduces a practical service design framework that integrates accessibility into routine library operations through a continuous cycle of audit, user engagement, co-design, implementation, monitoring, and advocacy. By positioning accessibility as a core service design responsibility rather than a peripheral compliance task, the study contributes a resource-aware approach that academic libraries can use to improve inclusive access to information in diverse institutional contexts.
As rail transit systems increasingly assume the function of disseminating urban culture, light rail cultural space has gradually become an important interface for citizens to perceive local characteristics and establish urban identity. As a tourist city where Chinese and Portuguese cultures converge, Macau's rail transit construction not only undertakes functional commuting tasks but also shoulders the dual mission of cultural display and city image shaping. This article takes the Macau Light Rapid Transit (LRT) as the research object, relying on Python crawler technology to capture the public's comments and short video content related to "Macau Light Rapid Transit culture space" on the three major social platforms of TikTok (Douyin), RedNote (Xiaohongshu), and Sina Weibo, and uses SnowNLP sentiment analysis and LDA topic modeling methods to explore the current status of its cultural space expression, public perception level, and design optimization path based on multi-source data. The study found that (1) the light rail cultural space provides an intuitive entry for the public to construct a city impression, and the public's overall evaluation is positive: Among the 21,378 comment samples, positive emotions accounted for 57.4 %, negative emotions accounted for 40.3 %, and neutral emotions accounted for 2.3 %; (2) based on the video content and the popularity of comments, the public's cultural perception is ranked from strong to weak in the following order: train space (50 %), platform and concourse space (33 %), and entrance and exit space (17 %); (3) the current cultural space of the Macau Light Rapid Transit still has problems such as low cultural recognition, a single interactive form, and fragmented functional areas. The research suggests that the cultural space should be transformed from symbolic decoration to experiential space, focusing on the design of themed trains, strengthening the narrative structure of the concourse, and building landmark entrances and exits to enhance the communication power and emotional cohesion of the Macau Light Rapid Transit culture.
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape the landscape of higher education, academic libraries are emerging as strategic actors in advancing digital literacy and knowledge services. The rapid development of generative AI has transformed teaching, research, and scholarly communication, positioning libraries as pivotal hubs for supporting students, researchers, and educators in the responsible understanding, evaluation, and application of AI tools. In response, a growing number of universities have introduced AI-focused LibGuides that curate resources on literacy, ethics, research support, and pedagogical integration. To capture this phenomenon, the present study investigates the libraries of the world's top 100 universities (QS World University Rankings), from which a representative sample of forty-nine universities was selected for in-depth analysis, selected for their leadership in teaching, research, and knowledge management, their early adoption of digital transformation, and their international diversity, which enables meaningful cross-regional comparison of institutional priorities and thematic emphases. Drawing on this sample, the research develops a multidimensional assessment framework incorporating indicators such as content relevance, resource integration, and service quality, and reveals significant variation in comprehensiveness, innovation capacity, and accessibility across institutions. Exemplars such as King's College London, the University of Queensland, and the University of California, Los Angeles, demonstrate advanced practices in thematic curation, interdisciplinary organization, and user-centered service design. Building on these findings, the study proposes a conceptual model for AI literacy services grounded in collaborative knowledge ecology, emphasizing the co-participation of librarians, subject specialists, educators, and users in creating inclusive and pedagogically effective learning environments. By integrating empirical analysis with conceptual reflection, the research contributes to theoretical debates on the role of academic libraries in digital knowledge governance and provides actionable recommendations for optimizing AI-related service infrastructures, thereby supporting the equitable and sustainable integration of AI technologies in higher education.
This scoping review explored the concept of virtual/online internships in Library and Information Science (LIS) education, focusing on their rationale, advantages, and challenges. Following the Arksey and O'Malley framework, sixteen relevant articles were included after screening 261 initial records identified through database searches (n = 181) and additional sources such as gray literature and reference lists (n = 80). The findings revealed key themes and sub-themes related to the motivations for adopting virtual internships, their potential benefits for students and institutions, and the barriers to effective implementation. The results suggested that virtual internships addressed several limitations of traditional in-person models by offering greater accessibility and flexibility. However, they were not universally applicable and were best considered as context-dependent alternatives rather than outright replacements. This review highlighted the transformative potential of virtual internships in LIS education while underscoring the importance of tailored implementation strategies.
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether academic librarians working in government-aided degree colleges in West Bengal, India, possess the competencies necessary to practice embedded librarianship. Employing a mixed-methods design, data were collected through a structured online questionnaire and follow-up telephonic interviews with 116 full-time academic librarians. The study revealed that most librarians demonstrate strong competencies in interpersonal communication, teaching, and collaboration. However, weaknesses were identified in areas such as instructional design, advanced data analysis, and digital content management. Despite their active involvement in embedded librarianship-related activities, more than 80 percent were unaware of the concept prior to the study. Numerous barriers, including staff shortages, heavy workloads, limited institutional support, and lack of recognition, inhibited the broader implementation of embedded librarianship. The findings suggested a need for targeted professional development, increased institutional support, and strategic policy initiatives to enable librarians to fully adopt embedded practices. This was the first empirical study in the Indian context, specifically West Bengal, assessing embedded librarianship readiness among college librarians. It contributes to local and global discourse on transforming academic librarianship.
