SAFEGUARDING KNOWLEDGE: INFORMATION PROTECTION IN AUTOMATED LIBRARIES OF NIGERIAN UNIVERSITIES

The rapid proliferation and transformative impact of emerging technologies have ushered in a new era for libraries, rendering them automated, electronic, virtual, and digital. This technological revolution has profoundly altered the library landscape, particularly within the academic sphere. Its impetus is driven by the imperative to enhance research productivity, facilitate efficient information dissemination, and establish a robust network among university libraries to satiate the knowledge cravings of their patrons. This paper examines the evolution and significance of library automation, a process involving the application of automatic and semi-automatic data processing machines (computers) to manage traditional library tasks such as acquisition, circulation, cataloguing, reference, and serial control. Through the integration of computers and related information technologies, library automation is poised to revolutionize information management within libraries while ensuring the safeguarding of valuable knowledge resources