What is Physical Library Space

This chapter examines the transformation of the physical library into a digital-oriented library environment. Space is regarded as an important feature of the physical library because the quantity of materials that can exist in the physical library is usually determined with regards to space. However, the emergence of digital technologies in the 21st century brought about the notion of digital-oriented library environment, in which a number of materials such as books, articles, and other print-based material can be converted to digital formats such as e-books, PDFs, and multimedia files which could be further stored on digital devices or uploaded online for users to access conveniently. The creation of the digital-oriented library environment has the capability of enabling librarians with innovative skills in order to meet the immediate information needs of library users. Therefore, librarians are required to understand their new roles in the 21st century and work towards creating a digital-oriented library environment.