As academic libraries adopt cloud computing to improve service delivery, the security of digital resources becomes critical. This literature review explores librarians’ responsibilities in safeguarding cloud-hosted content, guided by the question: What technical, ethical, and policy roles do librarians play in ensuring digital security in cloud systems? A structured review of literature (2015–2025) identified librarians’ expanding responsibilities, including implementing access controls, managing user data ethically, and supporting institutional compliance with regulations like POPIA, GDPR, and FERPA. However, librarians often lack authority, training, and integration into governance structures, limiting their ability to manage security threats. Ethically, librarians act as stewards of user privacy, promoting transparency and digital rights, yet remain constrained by opaque vendor practices and limited institutional oversight. Technically, they contribute to risk mitigation but rely heavily on IT departments for infrastructure decisions. Policy-wise, they help interpret data protection laws but are seldom empowered to shape institutional strategies. Major barriers include fragmented governance, lack of recognition, and financial constraints. These challenges intensify the risks of data breaches, legal liability, and reputational damage for libraries. To mitigate these issues, institutions must formally recognize librarians’ security roles, provide targeted cybersecurity training, and integrate them into digital governance. As frontline custodians of digital content, librarians are essential to building ethical, resilient, and secure cloud-based library services. This study advances the field of digital librarianship by defining both practical and ethical responsibilities and promoting focused development of cybersecurity skills.