Virtual Librarianship: A

New Role of Librarian

in 21st Century
C H R I S T O P H E R Y E N M A N L A PA Z
B A C H E L O R O F L I B R A RY A N D I N F O R M AT I O N S C I E N C E
 Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to evaluate how librarians interact with virtual
materials, electronic resources, and online services, as well as their perceptions
of their benefits and drawbacks. Specifically, this study seeks to answer the
following questions:

What is the demographic profile of the respondents in terms of:

01 a. age;
b. sex; and
c. year/s of library experience?

02 What is the perception of librarians with regards to 21st

century skills that should be possessed by a librarian?

What are specific librarian’s roles which emerged due to the

03
influence of 21st century to librarianship in terms of:
a. Work settings;
b. Library roles?
 Description of Method and Approach
(Summary)
• Research Design: Descriptive Method
• Instrumentation: 3-part Quantitative
Questionnaire
• Respondents: 30 Librarians in Lucena City
• Sampling Method: Total Enumeration
• Data Analysis – Research Formulas:
(1)Percentage Formula and (2) Weighted
Mean Formula; Research Scale: 4-Point
Likert Scale
• Research Paradigm: Virtual Librarianship:
A New Role of Librarian in the 21st
Century.
Summary of Findings
Part I. Demographic Profile
Table 3
Demographic Profile of the Respondents
 Summary of Findings
Part II. The 21st century skills a Librarian Should Possess
Table 4
The 21st Century Skills that a Librarian should possess in the Premises of the Library
Statement Weighted Mean Rank Verbal Interpretation
Librarians have a strong role in 3.833 1 Strongly Agree
local communities.
Librarians are flexible when it 3.833 1 Strongly Agree
comes to using the internet.  
 
Librarians can easily expand 3.833 1 Strongly Agree
access through information
sharing.
Librarians has better
management purposes in terms 3.800. 4.5 Strongly Agree
of acquisition and ordering
work, cataloguing, circulation    
control, serial control and
keeping of records, and    
statistics.
 
Librarians observes that printed
books still dominate reading, 3.800 4.5 Strongly Agree
despite growth of e-books

Librarians easily have

organization of information and 3.767 6 Strongly Agree
contents of the library
Librarians are becoming
technology hubs 3.700 7 Strongly Agree
Librarians become computer
literate. 3.733 8 Strongly Agree
Librarians have better working
experience with selection of e- 3.667 9.5 Strongly Agree
resources.
Librarians are being shaped by
budget cuts 3.667 9.5 Strongly Agree
GENERAL WEIGHTED MEAN
3.763 Strongly Agree
 Summary of Findings
Part III. Specific Librarian Roles Influenced by the 21 st Century -
Table 5
In terms of: Work Settings
Statement Weighted Mean Rank Verbal Interpretation
Our library creates 3.800 1 Strongly Agree
Facebook page and email
for easy convenience of
their query.

I feel happy when 3.767 2 Strongly Agree

answering online queries.

I know how to operate 3.733 3 Strongly Agree

virtual assistance.
I can navigate the website
or the online library alone. 3.667 4.5 Strongly Agree

I can adapt to my new

working environment really 3.667 4.5 Strongly Agree
well.
I can answer the query of
the students/clients even 3.633 5 Strongly Agree
at home.
Our library uses a lot of
technology to make our 3.633 5 Strongly Agree
work at ease.
Our library selects
appropriate electronic 3.633 5 Strongly Agree
resources.
I become more technical in
conducting query of the 3.600 6 Strongly Agree
clients
Our library uses online
catalogue. 3.467 7 Strongly Agree
GENERAL WEIGHTED
MEAN 3.660 Strongly Agree
Summary of Findings
Part III. Specific Librarian Roles Influenced by the 21st Century -
Table 6
In terms of: Librarian Roles
Statement Weighted Mean Rank Verbal Interpretation
Librarian has a critical role 3.867 1 Strongly Agree
in the virtual library as
educator or end-user guide
so that users can access
information more efficiently
and effectively.

Librarian manages the 3.800 2 Strongly Agree

information resources, the
infrastructure, the staff to
meet the information needs
of the users.
Librarians know how to 3.733 3 Strongly Agree
analyze, describe, and
organize, the virtual
resources such as e-books,
scanned images etc. for
efficient retrieval by the
users.
Librarians create and 3.600 4 Strongly Agree
manage websites and
intranets for the library.
Librarian has ICT 3.533 5 Strongly Agree
knowledge in this
revolutionized virtual
environment with emerging
trend in information and
communication technology
and new provision of
information services.
GENERAL WEIGHTED 3.706 Strongly Agree
MEAN
 Conclusions
01 02
Most of the librarians were flexible
The greatest number of
and know how to use the internet,
respondents came from
most can easily expand access
the ages 22-25 years old. through information sharing, and
Most of the respondents many have a strong role in local
communities. Therefore, these
were female. Most of the
librarians in the digital landscape
respondent library should have flexibility, be
experience are 2- 6 years. computer-literate, and are
community builders.
03
In terms of work settings and roles, it is found out that
librarians’ work mostly involves tasks that are
online/digital, meaning they have to have knowledge in
tech, and is also skilled in management. With this, the
following were the roles of librarians in the 21st
Century: Customer Service and Assistance to library
users; Manager that oversees colleagues and and budget
for library; maintenance of system, Program Developer,
and Researcher of trends and strategies to make libraries
better.
 Recommendations
Based on the findings and conclusions, the following are the researcher’s recommendations:
01 02
The librarians and The librarians should
collaborate and link with
library personnel
other institutions to increase
should continuously
their resources by accessing
utilize social media
trusted educational websites
and the internet to in order to create collections
promote their services that are accurate and
and the library itself. correct.
03
1.
The librarians and
libraries should
spearhead and participate
in seminars and programs
that will develop digital
2.
skills in order to keep up
with the increasingly
digitized world.
04
The institution should be
updated with new tech in
order to upgrade and make
the library better suited and
adapted to the digitized
world.
Institutions should sponsor
staff development and
training programs in order
to hone librarian skills
further.
Major Final Output
Thank You!