A Survey of Librarians’ Perception and Readiness to Adopt Emerging Technologies for Service Delivery in Medical Libraries in Nigeria

The purpose of the study was to examine the attitudes of librarians toward the potential use of emerging technologies in medical library environments. An online questionnaire was developed by the researchers to collect data on librarians’ perceptions and readiness to adopt emerging technologies in medical libraries within university settings in Nigeria. The questionnaire was emailed to 62 librarians working in various medical libraries at university libraries, beginning in June 2024. Data collection was completed by July 2024. In total, 56 librarians from 20 public universities with medical libraries in Nigeria responded to the survey. The study revealed that librarians are aware of some emerging technologies that can be adopted to provide services in medical libraries, such as cloud computing, the Internet of Things (IoT), virtual reality, blockchain, robots, and chatbots. However, they are not aware of other technologies that could also be used in medical libraries to render services. The study found that the majority of librarians believe that adopting emerging technologies will provide easier access to library resources and services from anywhere with an internet connection. They also feel that such adoption will advance library services. At the same time, some librarians believe that the lack of necessary facilities will hinder the adoption of certain emerging technologies. Moreover, many expressed concern that adopting technologies like robotics could lead to job losses. Overall, the librarians indicated that they are moderately prepared to adopt emerging technologies. Several challenges that could hinder the adoption of these technologies in service delivery were identified. The study emphasizes the need for librarians to proactively engage with emerging technologies and acquire new competencies to remain relevant in the 21st century.