Amplifying the role of libraries as partners in digital transformation

We’ve been working closely with the library community to ensure the role they play in digital transformation is visible and recognised across the whole institution.

We have been at the forefront of supporting digital transformation through our digital transformation in higher education framework and toolkit.

In collaboration with a working group of over 45 UK university libraries and the support of CILIP, SCONUL and RLUK, we produced the digital transformation library lens, a library-specific perspective into the framework. The lens provides a tool for libraries to amplify, enhance and evidence their role and impact in digital transformation. It aims to ensure that the expertise and experience of library professionals is recognised by others in their organisation.

Libraries as partners in digital transformation

Over 2025-2026 a cohort of university libraries took part in the digital transformation library lens research pilot programme and tested the use of the library lens to support their own digital transformation activities.

The briefing paper libraries as partners in digital transformation: increasing visibility and impact across the university highlights the experience and findings of the pilot programme. It describes the challenges libraries tackled across core business areas from shaping strategy, to embedding digital and AI in the curriculum, supporting research, modelling digital culture and making libraries more visible.

It also provides practical examples of what the pilots did, the outcomes they achieved, and how teams used the library lens as a common language and structured way into strategic conversations, an impetus for driving activities, a map of touchpoints for where library activity connects with the rest of the institution and as the "spur for renewing leadership focus on developing a digital culture within the library".

The Jisc Digital Transformation Library Lens gave us the language, confidence and a structure to demonstrate to a wide audience our contribution to digital transformation in a way that connected with wider institutional priorities.

-Rachel Scott Halls, director of library and learning services, Buckinghamshire New University.

I consider University of Glasgow’s involvement in the DTLL pilot to have been hugely valuable and impactful. At its most basic level, participation has enabled considerable knowledge exchange with a diverse range of institutions and people across the HE sector.

-George Macgregor, assistant director digital Library, University of Glasgow.