THE NEXUS OF KNOWLEDGE: DIGITAL LIBRARIES ENABLING INTERDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND KNOWLEDGE SHARING

Abstract

Digital libraries have become important infrastructures in facilitating interdisciplinary

research, knowledge sharing, and collaboration within higher education institutions (HEIs).

The role of libraries has expanded from mere repositories to dynamic platforms that enable

collaborative learning and cross-disciplinary discovery. This study investigates the

implications of the Collaborative Horizons Framework as a strategic model designed to

enhance digital libraries’ capacity to support interdisciplinary research. The framework is

built on three key layers of infrastructure and interoperability, human-centred knowledge

sharing, and governance and information literacy. Through a phased implementation

approach, the study examines how libraries can foster effective collaboration by diagnosing

metadata standards, launching knowledge-sharing policies, integrating AI-driven tools, and

embedding IL into curricula. The research identifies several barriers, including metadata

fragmentation, information overload, and inadequate knowledge-sharing incentives, and offers

practical solutions to address these challenges. Using case studies from Nigeria, China, and

Indonesia, the study provides a comparative analysis of digital library initiatives, highlighting

the impact of AI-assisted semantic search, crosswalks, and persistent identifiers (PIDs) on

research collaboration. Findings suggest that when digital libraries combine interoperable

systems, collaborative cultures, and IL-aware governance, interdisciplinarity becomes a

deliberate, structured process rather than a spontaneous occurrence. This research contributes

to the ongoing discourse on digital libraries, offering a comprehensive roadmap for HEIs to

integrate digital tools and foster an environment of collaborative research.