Adoption of artificial intelligence for library services at universities in Africa

are we there yet?

Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies become increasingly prevalent in libraries, it is crucial to understand how they shape the delivery of services and influence the interactions between users and library resources. This study evaluated the extent to which AI has influenced library services in African universities. It assessed whether these institutions have fully embraced and integrated AI technologies to enhance their library services. The researcher conducted an integrative systematic review to identify and map articles published between 2020 and 2024, using specified inclusion and exclusion criteria. A total of 13 articles were included for an in-depth analysis to address the issue under investigation. The findings revealed the barriers associated with AI implementation in library services, which include a lack of awareness, financial constraints, and ethical concerns. The positive initiatives associated with AI implementation in library service include virtual assistants, improved resource discovery, efficient collection management, improved accessibility by library users, and expanded access to information. The study concluded that the adoption of AI in library services in universities in Africa has the potential to be transformative. This study proposed an integrated framework for the adoption of AI in library services.