Information Infrastructure and Institutional Strategy: Academic Libraries in the Higher Education Policy Landscape

Abstract

Academic libraries increasingly serve as strategic components of higher education governance, extending beyond their traditional role as information repositories to support institutional sustainability, digital transformation, policy implementation,  and knowledge production. This study reviews 36 sources from library and information science, higher education management, and related management fields to examine the role of academic libraries within institutional strategy and information infrastructure. Using narrative synthesis supported by bibliometric mapping, the study identifies eight recurring themes: green and sustainable libraries, digital transformation and leadership, bibliometric and methodological research, institutional and strategic management, digital information services, digital literacy and instruction, digital leadership, and the broader library and information science research landscape. Scholarly attention increased substantially after 2020, particularly around generative artificial intelligence, digital leadership, and policy-oriented research, while sustainability research has developed since 2008. The findings are interpreted through a conceptual framework linking institutional strategy, sustainability, digital transformation, and higher education policies and programmes. Despite limitations arising from the small corpus and narrative synthesis approach, the study highlights the need for further empirical and comparative research. Overall, academic libraries should be recognised as strategic institutional assets  and actively integrated into higher education policy planning, particularly in infrastructure, pedagogy, digital transformation, and governance.