From Resource Repository to Experience Hub: A paradigm shift in academic library orientation programs

This study systematically investigates orientation activities in Chinese academic libraries through comprehensive content analysis. The findings reveal that library orientation has become universally institutionalized across Chinese first-class universities, characterized by high activity intensity, strategic diversification, and hybrid delivery modalities combining in-person and digital formats. The study identifies a fundamental paradigm shift from a traditional Resource Repository model toward an Experience Hub model, manifested through three emergent patterns: prioritization of affective engagement over instrumental instruction, pedagogical transformation from passive transmission to experiential and gamified learning, and strategic orchestration of technology-enabled efficiency with human-­centered empathy. This study provides the first comprehensive empirical mapping of contemporary library orientation practices in China’s top-tier universities, establishing a rigorous typological framework and quantitative baseline. It theorizes the paradigm shift from Resource Repository to Experience Hub, offering a conceptual lens applicable beyond the Chinese context.