Academic libraries as global development actors: Evidence from Erasmus+ capacity-building partnerships

International partnerships have become an important mechanism through which higher education institutions strengthen institutional capacity, exchange knowledge and address global societal challenges. Within this context, academic libraries increasingly participate in international higher education development initiatives funded through European cooperation programmes, including Erasmus+ and its predecessor Tempus. Despite this growing involvement, their role remains under-examined within the literature on higher education internationalisation and development. This study examines how academic library collaborations contribute to institutional capacity building and development outcomes aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Drawing on a reflexive cross-case analysis of fifteen Erasmus+ and Tempus projects involving institutions across thirty-five countries, the study identifies recurring patterns of library contribution across four thematic areas: information literacy and educational access, institutional capacity building and library modernisation, inclusive education and social participation, and innovation, digital transformation and knowledge transfer. The findings demonstrate that academic libraries function as embedded actors within transnational knowledge development systems, contributing to educational development, institutional transformation, social inclusion and innovation through professional mobility, knowledge exchange and collaborative service development. Building on these findings, the paper proposes the Global Library Development Model, a conceptual framework illustrating how libraries operate as development actors within international higher education partnerships. The study argues that academic libraries should be recognised not only as institutional support services but also as strategic contributors to international higher education development. The findings contribute to a broader understanding of the role of libraries within global knowledge systems and provide practical insights for policymakers, university leaders and library professionals engaged in international partnerships.