As the amount of online information continues to grow along with the changing landscape in higher education, academic libraries are facing changes where academic library leaders are navigating new challenges. Academic libraries provide different services depending on the institution. Institutions with fewer than 10,000 students were the target population for this grounded theory method study. The selection of the qualitative grounded theory methodology was appropriate, as since the advent of the internet and freely available information sources, the future of libraries is a recurrent topic with varying outlooks about the field of librarianship. Smaller institutions may have budgetary limitations, and gleaning the perspective of library leaders from such institutions is significant. The research is relevant to academic librarians in similar situations who would benefit from learning how library leaders are facing the challenges. The research aimed to cover the gap in the literature to identify the role of the academic library in the institution--now and in the future. The qualitative research consisted of semistructured interviews with academic library leaders. This research is timely and significant in the study of library futures. The design of the study is also beneficial in uncovering additional elements about educational leadership, innovation, technology, and organizational structure of higher education institutions. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]