Academic Library's Challenges and Opportunities: Case Study of the United Arab Emirates University Library

Digital technology has revolutionized the way people learn and gather new information. This trend has challenged the role of the academic library as a physical place, as well as the interplay of digital and physical aspects of the library. The quest for exact identification of free digital access to information can challenge the library physical space and affects the student's way of learning, a fact that has driven extensive research on library perception. This paper looks into the new age and moving function of academic libraries through exploration of the different challenges faced in an academic university library through a case study in the United Arab Emirates University. Inadequacy of the building spaces and limited usage were the concerns prompting this study. Therefore, identification of the reasons and challenges and prospection of design solutions are the focus. The study relied on field visits, observations and interviews. A critical analysis of the Library's existing context, the building and physical space usage, and accessibility were carried out first, along a nonobstructive field observation to assess users' behavior within the main library spaces. Finally, to explore the users' perceptions, interviews were conducted to identify the challenges they face and their needs. The results highlighted a number of issues related to the library visibility, functional and space design, relationship to the outside greenery and furnishing.