ADOPTION OF CHATBOTS FOR EFFECTIVE SERVICE DELIVERY IN ACADEMIC LIBRARIES OF NIGER STATE

Abstract

The study examined the awareness and adoption of chatbots by librarians for effective service delivery in academic libraries in Niger State, Nigeria. The adoption of chatbots is an emerging trend with limited research. The study was guided by four (4) objectives to explore the perceived concerns of librarians in Niger state, familiarity with the use of chatbot technologies, perceived impact of chatbot technologies on library services and user satisfaction and the primary expectations of librarians regarding the integration of chatbots in academic library services. Survey questionnaires were administered to 34 librarians across two (2) academic universities servicing postgraduate students in Niger State. A good number of respondents were comfortable with the use of digital technologies and need for formal training on chatbot implementation. Majority of the respondents believed chatbots will increase efficiency of library services. However, key concerns such as data privacy, employment implications and accuracy of information were raised. The study concludes that chatbot integration is essential for the evolving advancements library services and recommends training programmes for librarians, targeted policies and chatbot designs to meet the peculiarity of Nigerian library system.