Published Article

ABSTRACT

This study examines the roles of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in library automation, with a focus on its potency in streamlining operations and enhancing user services. Descriptive survey design was adopted for this study. The study was carried out in South-South, Nigeria. The target population comprised all librarians in South-South Nigeria. A stratified sampling technique was used to select 80 librarians each from Akwa Ibom State and Cross River State, giving a total sample size of 160 respondents. The instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire titled “entitled “Roles of Artificial Intelligence in Library Automation Questionnaire (RAILAQ).” Face and content validation of the instrument were carried out by experts in Test, Measurement, and Evaluation to ensure its accuracy, appropriateness, and completeness for the study. The reliability coefficient obtained was 0.88, which was considered sufficiently high to justify the use of the instrument. Descriptive statistics were used to answer the research question. The findings revealed that the highest percentage (37.5%) was recorded for effective service delivery and better access to information resources, while the least percentage (28.13%) was recorded for user service improvement. The results also showed that AI improves cataloguing, information retrieval, and user services (38.75%), although ease and error-free cataloguing recorded a lower percentage (25.63%). The study concludes that AI remains a powerful tool for modern library management and recommends its strategic adoption to achieve efficient, user-centered, and technology-driven library services. One of the recommendations made was that libraries should adopt AI technologies gradually, starting with essential services such as cataloguing, information retrieval, and user support systems like chatbots.

KEYWORDS: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Library Automation, Information Services, Operational Efficiency, User Services, South-South Nigeria.