Libraries in The Paperless Society: Evolving from Print Custodianship to Digital Stewardship for Knowledge Access, Preservation, and Future-Focused Information Governance

Abstract

This study inspects the development of libraries in a paperless society, emphasizing their evolution from traditional print custodianship to strategic digital stewardship, with a concentration on knowledge accessibility, long-term protection, and maintainable information governance. A mixed-methods methodology was utilised, assimilating surveys from 150 library specialists with 15 semi-structured interviews of librarians, archivists, and information executives in academic, public, and special libraries. Quantitative data evaluated implementation patterns, approachability, and governance practices, while qualitative results imitated experiential opinions on problems and approaches in digital revolution. Libraries have enhanced access to knowledge through digital sources, cloud platforms, and open-access efforts; however, complications remain, such as connectivity problems, inequities in digital literateness, and practical undesirability. Preservation measures, including metadata standardisation, redundant storage, and OAIS-compliant systems, assurance sustainability. Authority practices that cover copyright, moral utilisation, data confidentiality, and environmental rules improve accountability and adoptive participant conviction. Strategic development, speculation in ICT infrastructure, improvement of personnel abilities, and the establishment of cooperative networks are crucial for operative digital revolution. The report describes libraries as active information centres that harmonise skill improvement with moral, egalitarian, and maintainable governance, providing applied support for organizations experiencing the change to a paperless environment.