Digital Skills and Libraries in the Post-Pandemic Era: A Systematic Bibliometric Review (2001–2024)

This study represents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research publications on digital competency in the field of library and information science (LIS) from 2001 to 2024, with specific attention to the transformations posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on 207 documents indexed by Scopus databases, the study applies a clearly defined search strategy and bibliometric tools, including VOSviewer, Excel, and Bibliometrix ® to identify trends, keyword patterns and occurrences, influential publications, active institutions, top journals, and collaborative networks. The findings show a significant publication spike in 2021, accompanying global shifts toward digital education and library services during the pandemic. The final analysis highlights the dominance of wealthy nations in research output, underscoring the need for equitable participation and embedded policy interventions to support digital library progression in lower-income countries. Additionally, the study has mapped the emergence of new research themes, including AI integration, digital equity, and health literacy in library contexts. Despite equity goals, the results show that open access remains underutilized in core LIS journals. Our set of samples shows that OA-published papers receive higher average citations. We translate these trends into actionable strategies for library leaders and funders to prioritize OA mandates, cross-country seed grants, and targeting upskilling in AI-health information literacy to reduce gaps and accelerated inclusion. These conclusions support the formulation of inclusive strategies to improve and enhance digital competency across global library systems and advocate for accelerating open-access dissemination to bridge the digital divide.