INTEGRATION OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND INFORMATION SERVICE DELIVERY AMONG LIBRARY PROFESSIONALS IN SELECTED UNIVERSITIES IN OYO STATE, NIGERIA

The integration of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to library services delivery has the potential to revolutionised the way university libraries in Nigeria operate. The study investigated the integration of AI in information services delivery among library professionals in selected universities library in Oyo State, Nigeria. The population comprised library professionals in three universities in Oyo State, namely the University of Ibadan, Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, and Abiola Ajimobi Technical University. A sample of 108 library professionals was selected using purposive sampling, and 108 copies of the questionnaire were administered and retrieved. The findings revealed that finance and transportation were rated =3.12, current uses information retrieval =3.22, challenges facing library professional, resistance to change and technophobia = 3.21, while the benefits of application of AI tools rated to boost research productivity =3.26, search capabilities =3.14 respectively. The study concluded that AI can improve the efficiency and effectiveness of library services, particularly information retrieval, cataloguing and classification, research productivity, and information literacy instruction. It recommended that library personnel should be trained to acquire AI-related and relevant skills to integrate it to other fields such as healthcare, finance, education, transportation and many more. Nigerian university libraries should invest in modern infrastructure and technology that supports AI integration such as: robotics, virtual reality, ChatGPT, digital reality.