Leading library change with confidence
Leading Change with Confidence: Oren Beit-Arie takes a detailed look at Clarivate’s Pulse of the Library 2025 report
Libraries today are facing uncertain times. AI is reshaping fundamental aspects of library work, while the need to upskill staff and ongoing budget pressures add further urgency.
Libraries have shown resilience in the past through major transformations such as the advent of the digital age and Google’s impact on user behaviour and expectations, but they now face arguably one of their biggest challenges and transformations yet.
There is a growing number of libraries that take strategic actions to adapt and lead change. Those who do not may find themselves falling behind.
The Pulse of the Library 2025 report, now in its second year, offers a view of this ongoing transformation, drawing on insights from more than 2,000 librarians in 109 countries and regions, with 77% representing academic libraries. We dive into this year’s report to look at how libraries, with a focus on academic libraries, are adapting to change.
Shifting focus: students at the heart
At their core, academic libraries aim to support student learning, advance research and help students and researchers discover new knowledge. In 2025, we noticed that student engagement is the key strategic focus among academic libraries. It’s a sign of the times and reflects a broader shift toward customer-centric priorities in an increasingly competitive funding landscape, where libraries serve as hubs for collaboration, discovery and innovation.
To put it in perspective, libraries in the U.S. (54%) and U.K. (78%) are prioritising student engagement and retention more than most, compared to 41% of all academic library respondents globally. This might be a response to continued concerns about student fees and government funding.
For academic libraries that are actively evaluating and planning to use AI technologies, supporting student learning (73%) is the top objective, greater than supporting research excellence and improving content discovery (both 64% each).
The rise of artificial intelligence: confidence and capability
A notable trend in this year’s report is the steady rise of artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. 67% of libraries are either exploring or implementing AI tools, up from 63% last year. Of greater significance is that 33% are now in the implementation stages, which is three times as many as in 2024. Among academic libraries, this rises to 37%. This figure is even higher among U.K. respondents, with 51% stating that they are in early, moderate or active AI implementation – so the momentum is clear.
However, there is a perception gap across roles when it comes to confidence. 43% of senior librarians ranked their confidence in their understanding of AI as a 4 or 5 (on a scale of 1 for not confident, to 5 for highly confident), compared to 36% for junior librarians.
Senior academic library roles (Associate Deans and Deans) were more likely to indicate that there is active encouragement for skills development, while librarians were significantly less likely to indicate that such encouragement exists.
This highlights critical organisational needs that often come up in my conversations with library leadership. Upskilling, structured AI literacy skill development and effective change management to ensure that libraries remain at the forefront of technological innovation and continue to support and drive their institutions’ mission.
Regional disparities: who’s leading the way?
Our report also notes that AI adoption and optimism vary across regions. Libraries in Asia and Europe are advancing faster than in the U.S., with 37- 40% in initial implementation or beyond, compared to 24% among U.S. libraries.
When it comes to how libraries feel about the benefits of AI, the majority of respondents in Asia, Europe and Mainland China have a positive perspective, with 67%, 54% and 53% respectively scoring 4 or 5 on a scale of 1 for pessimistic and 5 for optimistic. This contrasts with respondents from the U.K. and U.S., who are less optimistic (35% and 25% respectively scoring 4 or 5).
As Emily Zerrenner, Research and Instructional Services Librarian, Salisbury University, U.S. told us: “I think there’s a lot of things that we need to consider when we’re thinking about [AI], privacy, copyright that hasn’t been determined yet, or environmental concerns.”
Persistent challenges: budgets, geopolitics and the pace of change
Budget constraints, geopolitical pressures and the rapid pace of technological change are testing the resilience of library leaders. In the U.K., a comparatively high percentage of libraries – 37% – are expecting budget reductions of 10 to 24%.
While optimism is higher among those investing in AI and professional development according to the report, many libraries struggle to secure the resources needed to fully realize their ambitions. Budget constraints have overtaken a lack of skills as the greatest barrier to AI adoption. In particular, 66% of academic libraries report budget constraints as their top concern in adopting and scaling AI technologies.
Some libraries still view AI implementation as an added cost. In reality, many tech and content providers now include extensive AI capabilities within existing library products at no extra cost. Libraries may want to explore these options before assuming additional investment is required.
Empowering libraries for the future
The Pulse of the Library report 2025 is more than a snapshot. It’s a resource for librarians everywhere, offering valuable insights to help navigate complexity, better understand AI readiness and plan for the future.
All the survey data is free to access under a Creative Commons licence, so whether you’re a librarian, partner or stakeholder, you’re invited to dive in, analyse, learn and collaborate.
Looking forward: a call to action
Libraries are unquestionably facing enormous change, requiring them to meet today’s challenges head-on and continue to adapt. The challenges ahead will require ongoing investment, forward-thinking leadership and a commitment to community-centric values. Libraries that embrace change by investing in their people, technology and local communities won’t just survive but thrive in the years to come.
For more insights and to explore the findings and the full report, visit here.
Oren Beit-Arie is Senior Vice President, Strategy and Innovation, Academia & Government, Clarivate