Awareness and Preparedness of Nigerian Cataloguers on the Adoption of Artificial Intelligence for Library Operations, in Nigeria

Abstract

The study assessed Nigerian cataloguers' awareness and preparedness for AI adoption in libraries, identifying challenges and assessing their level of preparedness for AI in cataloguing and classification activities. The study utilises the quantitative research approach using a survey design. Questionnaire was self- developed and used as the instrument for data collection. The population for the study consisted of Librarians who attended the 43rd Annual Cataloguing, Classification and Indexing Section seminar/workshop of the Nigerian Library Association held at Ede, Osun State Nigeria in October, 2023. A total of Sixty (60) questionnaire was randomly administered during the seminar/workshop, forty (40) were found usable. Data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics. Findings of the study revealed that, Librarians in Nigeria are aware of the existence of Artificial Intelligence application in Library activities. The results also revealed that adopting artificial intelligence can have a number of benefits, including improving service delivery and granting access to reliable information. Remarkably, though, the study's conclusions indicate that most Nigerian catalogers are ill-prepared for its implementation because of a number of significant issues, including a lack of proper infrastructure, insufficient money for libraries, a lack of expertise, and inadequate training, among others. The paper suggests that Nigerian libraries can adopt AI cataloguing activities with adequate staff training and AI infrastructure, thereby enhancing their ability to utilize emerging technology.