Digital Initiatives in Academic Libraries: Challenges and Opportunities

Digital initiatives have become increasingly common in academic libraries, but inconsistent definitions, standards, and expectations limit and, in some cases, negatively impact the effectiveness of practitioners. This article explores the discourse surrounding professional titles and responsibilities in digital initiatives within North American academic libraries between 1990 and 2020. A review of job advertisements, position descriptions, and professional activities reveals ambiguously defined responsibilities, inadequate technical education, and limited opportunities for training. Current trends suggest digital initiatives will expand from traditional digitization and digital library projects toward more diverse and flexible digital project management. This change will require familiarity with software development, systems administration, and library practices. The implication for library science education is the need for course programming that reflects these trends.