Abstract
The digital transformation of higher education has changed the expectations placed on university librarians and raised questions about how their professional relevance is sustained. This study examined the professional relevance of university librarians in the digital era across a federal, state and private university in Abia State, Nigeria. A comparative survey design was adopted. The study involved 47 librarians and 2,229 registered library users; 339 users were sampled, with 305 valid responses (89.97%). Data were collected through a structured online questionnaire and analyzed using frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations Pearson Product-Moment Correlation, multiple regression and One-Way ANOVA. Findings showed that respondents positively assessed librarians' changing professional roles (grand mean = 3.27), with user guidance receiving the highest rating (M
Publication Date: 2026-10-31