Librarians’ Awareness, Positive Attitude and ICT Skills: A Panacea for Effective Services Delivery in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4th IR) Era in Academic Libraries in Southern Nigeria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.48165/Keywords:
Librarian, Awarenes, ICT Skills, Attitude, 4th Industrial Revolution, Academic Libraries, Service DeliveryAbstract
This study examined librarians’ awareness, positive attitude and ICT skills as panacea for effective services delivery in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (4th IR) era in academic libraries in Southern Nigeria. The total population for this study was eight hundred and forty-one (841) librarians from 84 university libraries in Southern Nigeria. The entire population was sample using total enumeration sampling technique because of the manageable size of population. Questionnaire was used to collect data from the respondents. The data collected for this study was analyzed using simple percentage/frequency counts and weighed mean. Findings from this study revealed that the extent of librarians awareness of the technological innovations associated with the 4th IR era is low. Also, it was shown that if librarians exhibit positive attitude towards embracing the 4th IR era technological advancement, they will be able to: Adapt to changing technologies associated with the 4th IR; Accept the shift from conventional service delivery to WWW based service delivery among others. Also, being in possessions of good ICT skills by librarians will to a very high extent facilitate effective library services delivery in the 4th IR era. The following were suggested to improve on librarians attitude to technological innovations of the 4th IR era and the acquisition of ICT skills among librarians: Librarians should develop flair for technological innovations which will help to activate in them the positive attitude required to effectively utilize the sophisticated technology associated with the 4th IR era and libraries/librarians should also abreast itself with the latest technologies to provide optimal services in minimum time through training, seminars, conferences and acquire and update the necessary ICT skills that is required to remain relevant in the 4th IR era and the accompanying changes it has brought to the educational sector and the library in particular.
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