Leading and Managing Academic Libraries in the Philippines: An Exploratory Case Study

Academic libraries face increasing pressure to respond to digital changes and institutional demands, yet little is known about how library leaders in developing countries manage these changes. This exploratory case study examines how senior library leaders in five highly accredited Philippine universities lead and manages service transformation in academic libraries. Using semi-structured interviews with five senior library leaders and document analysis, this study identifies eight interconnected leadership practices. Key themes include strategic vision, staff capacity, technology adoption, user engagement, collaboration, global perspective, security, and societal responsibility, alongside responses to institutional constraints.The findings suggest that changes in library services depend less on adopting new technologies than on how leaders connect innovation with governance, available resources and local conditions. Rather than copying external models, participants adapted their leadership approaches to fit their own institutions. The study’s main contribution is to show how leadership helps libraries adapt in uncertain and resource-limited settings. Although focused on the Philippines, the findings may also be relevant to academic libraries working in similar conditions.