This paper discusses how digital transformation takes place in public knowledge institutions by examining public libraries as socio-technical service ecosystems, and conceptualizes digital maturity. Based on Service-Dominant Logic and the socio-technical systems theory, this study explores digital maturity as a natural product of convergence in technological infrastructures, professional expertise, governance mechanisms, and community involvement. The data analysis is conducted on a structured 48-item questionnaire which, at its turn, is based on a sample of 101 members of library staff in public libraries in Romania. The Romanian dataset is contextualized by using a national comparative dataset comprising 363 respondents from France. We employ a mixed method of descriptive and inferential statistical analyses and thematic coding in order to investigate institutional adaptability, AI readiness, and service development trends. The results reveal the continuing movement from collection-centered models toward hybrid physical–digital service platforms and differences in digital maturity and overall strategic planning among institutions. The results demonstrate that digital maturity is sensitive to the organized coordination and the planning capability in institutions rather than to isolated technological adoption. Drawing from this evidence, the study proposes an analytical framework and a tempered analytical lens for interpreting digital transformation processes in public knowledge ecosystems, forming a solid foundation for more general investigations of institutional adaptation to digitally mediated environments.
Crihană et al. (Fri,) studied this question.