Abstract

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 aims to create a transformative higher education system that is based on multidisciplinary learning, research excellence, digital innovation, and lifelong learning.In this changing educational environment, academic libraries must go beyond the information repository and become strategic partners in meeting the goals of the policy. This conceptual paper discusses the changing role of academic libraries as facilitators of multidisciplinary learning in the light of NEP 2020 in India.The study is based on the latest research in academic libraries, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, sustainability, information literacy, research support and interdisciplinary education, and draws on the existing knowledge to create an integrated conceptual framework. The proposed framework places academic libraries as a knowledge ecosystem, linking the policy vision of NEP 2020 with the outcomes of education through digital infrastructure, multidisciplinary collections, research support services, collaborative learning spaces, information literacy programmes and sustainable knowledge management practices. The paper also proposes six conceptual propositions that explain the relationships between NEP 2020, academic library capabilities, and multidisciplinary learning outcomes. The study not only highlights gaps in the current literature, but also addresses the theoretical, practical and policy implications of the repositioning of libraries as institutional enablers of educational transformation. The proposed framework can be used as a basis for further empirical studies and can give some insights to the university administration, librarians, policy makers and higher education institutions to enhance their library systems in accordance with the vision of NEP 2020. The paper adds to the ongoing debate on academic libraries by providing a holistic conceptual framework for academic libraries in the context of interdisciplinary education, research collaboration, digital scholarship, sustainability and lifelong learning in the Indian higher education system.

Keywords: Academic Libraries, National Education Policy 2020 (NEP 2020), Multidisciplinary Learning, Higher Education, Information Literacy, Digital Transformation, Research Support, Artificial Intelligence, Sustainable Development, Conceptual Framework.