The role of the library in student and teacher education

1. Introduction

The speed of technological change has also affected libraries. While attempting to perform all traditional information services, librarians now need to develop new skills and anticipate new services needed to function successfully in an electronic educational environment.

For example, today's concern about access to collections and information implies access to digital resources that the librarian does not physically possess. Also, given the changing environment and the need for users to access resources from one place, the library no longer has users who physically come to the library and seek printed materials, but serves as an intermediary between users and distributed information, which raises the problem of accessing, describing, organizing, and managing different types of information resources.

The development of devices with multiple integrated technologies has enabled the integration of different components of the information space, and therefore it is necessary to unify access to different services, which requires adapting existing services, but also creating new ones, which requires the development and acquisition of new skills. In this way, technology affects all aspects of library work, especially because it imposes new challenges on librarians who need to balance traditional tools and ways of working and new environments for which they either need to adapt existing tools or create new ones.

It seems that during the rapid expansion of the distance education and e-learning industry, the library and access to its services were in last place. Plans were based on technical solutions and achievements, while few people thought about the fundamental part of education, the center of every educational institution without which there is no successful education, namely the library.

2. Collaboration between librarians, teachers and students

Until now, students accessed information in the physical space of the educational institution, but with the development of information and communication technology, students no longer have to be in the physical space of the institution itself, but can access information, knowledge and the educational process virtually, from anywhere and at any time. This especially applies to students who are getting additional education or professional development, such as doctoral students or students of part-time studies.

On the other hand, there is also a need for full-time students to access information and educational content outside of lectures and exercises. The realization of these requirements requires good cooperation between librarians, teachers and IT staff, which is also possible by creating e-learning centers that will help to familiarize themselves with, raise awareness of and use all the possibilities offered by the electronic educational environment (both for hybrid learning and distance learning).

The goals of higher education libraries represent support for the achievement of the university's strategy, but also for the creation of information literate individuals ready for lifelong learning and education.

In addition to managing the quantity and variety of information, librarians must also help learners understand the breadth and depth of what is available. Information literacy has evolved to include media and digital literacy, awareness of new forms and tools for accessing digital information. Information literacy is defined as the foundation for learning in an environment where people use information as part of their formal learning process. Once the result of a good education was an understanding of a particular body of knowledge or discipline, today it is the skills of analysis, evaluation and synthesis that are necessary for understanding and navigating today’s resource-rich world.

The adoption and implementation of electronic environments in education has led to a more active role for librarians in supporting staff and students to fully exploit the opportunities and benefits of e-learning. Compared to the traditional library model, where staff tasks are largely focused on managing materials, the new library model requires more time and staff to interact with the educational environment itself. Library staff are active participants in this new environment, providing support to users, teaching information literacy skills, educating and training librarians themselves, and organizing and managing educational content. This is reflected in a range of different services, including physical courses and online webinars, assisting with teaching and using information resources, and organizing and managing educational materials.

The following article offers a deeper insight into the role of higher education libraries in the context of quality assurance and reaccreditation of higher education institutions, where the author analyzes the standards, challenges and adaptations that libraries implement in the digital environment. The text is valuable because it shows how libraries are transforming from passive custodians of materials to active partners in the educational process, which is crucial for understanding contemporary e-learning practices.

We recommend reading more about this topic in Pikić (2017).

3. LibGuides and their application in higher education libraries

In today's higher education, where students increasingly rely on digital resources and online environments, libraries are looking for effective ways to provide structured, contextualized, and personalized support. One of the most widely used tools currently used by higher education libraries for this purpose is LibGuides, a commercial tool for creating online guides.

The LibGuides content management system allows for the combination of different educational materials to provide information related to a specific topic, course, subject area, research task, or specific skills (e.g., citation, source evaluation, database searching). Its key features are thematic organization, interactivity, integration with e-learning platforms, and adaptability to user needs.

Some of the possible uses include the following:

Teaching support

Librarians, in collaboration with faculty, create LibGuides that accompany a particular course. These guides include relevant literature, search guides, databases, assignments, evaluation criteria, and academic writing guidelines. Such integration allows students to find everything they need to successfully learn in one digital space.

Developing information literacy

Libraries use LibGuides to design educational content that supports the development of information and digital literacy. These include guides to using the database, distinguishing between types of sources, evaluating information and avoiding plagiarism.

Independent and lifelong learning

They serve as tools for independent research and training. They enable continuous access to educational resources and flexible, self-regulated learning. They offer structured sources, recommendations and practical guidelines that help students and researchers develop information skills and critical thinking. Thus, they become a dynamic tool that empowers users to actively shape their own knowledge.

Research support

Students preparing their final, master's or doctoral theses use LibGuides as a starting point for research. Librarians prepare guides that include relevant scholarly databases, literature management tools (e.g. Zotero, Mendeley), and links to scholarly repositories and open access.

Specialized user needs

They can also be created for specific user groups (e.g. students with disabilities, researchers, international students) or for specific topics (e.g. academic writing, copyright, open access publishing).

Examples of using the LibGuides platform:

• Libguides community
• Libguides on copyright
• Libguides on the basics of the Harvard citation system
• LibGuides on open publishing.

4. Conclusion

Libraries in higher education are undergoing a profound transformation under the influence of digital technologies. From being custodians of materials, they are becoming active participants in the electronic environment, where they develop new services and teach students information, media and digital literacy skills. In collaboration with teachers and students, they support lifelong learning and affirm their role as one of the central educational institutions.

5. Bibliography

Pikić, A. (2017). Analiza kvalitete visokoškolskih knjižnica kroz prizmu postupka reakreditacije hrvatskih visokih učilišta. Vjesnik bibliotekara Hrvatske, 60(2-3), 47-77. https://hrcak.srce.hr/clanak/288795