Transforming State Agricultural University Library and Information Systems into Knowledge Ecosystems: A Contemporary Framework for Organisation and Professional Staffing

Abstract

Libraries have evolved from collection-centred institutions into dynamic knowledge ecosystems that support education, research, innovation, policy, and public service. This transformation is particularly significant in State Agricultural Universities (SAUs), where timely access to knowledge underpins teaching, research, extension, and technology transfer. Recognising this need early, Kerala Agricultural University constituted an Expert Committee on Library and Information System in 1998, whose recommendations provided a foundation for strengthening library infrastructure and professional staffing. Nearly three decades later, advances in artificial intelligence, open science, research data management, digital scholarship, institutional repositories, knowledge analytics, and information governance have fundamentally reshaped the information landscape. This paper revisits and updates selected recommendations of the 1998 report, proposing a contemporary framework for transforming SAU library and information systems into knowledge ecosystems through organisational reform and professional staffing. It should be read alongside the accompanying review of the 1998 report and relevant ICAR and SAU policies, statutes, and regulations.