Adoption and Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools for Service Provision in Selected University Libraries in Kenya
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Date
2025-06
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Publisher
Kenyatta University
Abstract
University libraries are adopting AI technologies more and more to improve productivity, accessibility and improve user experience in the digital age. However, despite its potential in libraries, artificial intelligence still seems like a grey idea, especially in the Kenyan context. The objective of the study was to assess the adoption and use of artificial intelligence tools on service delivery in selected university libraries in Kenya. Specifically, the study sought to examine librarians’ awareness levels on existence of artificial intelligence tools, to determine the uptake levels of artificial intelligence tools, to establish the contribution of AI in the core academic library functions and to identify challenges of adopting and using artificial intelligence tools in selected university libraries in Kenya. Diffusion of innovation theory served as the study's anchor theory. The research design used in the study was descriptive research design. A total of eighty-seven library employees were considered in the study as the study population. The research institutions chosen for the study were USIU, Strathmore, the University of Nairobi, and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). A total of seventy-one participants were chosen using a stratified random selection method. The study relied on primary data gathered via research questionnaires. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data, including frequencies, percentages, means, standard deviations, and scores. Tables were used to display the study's findings. According to the results, university librarians in Kenya are well-informed about the availability of AI resources. University librarians' familiarity with AI technologies and their possible uses was, nevertheless, minimal. The study also found that several university libraries have a high level of AI tools adoption. The study identified that AI tools were used in information retrieval and search optimization, cataloguing, user support, data analysis and decision-making as well as data preservation. The study also found that university libraries face obstacles like financial, economic, and technical hurdles while trying to use AI capabilities. The results highlight the need to overcome challenges occurring in the process of adopting AI technologies. This calls for raising awareness and highlighting the advantages of AI adoption in improving library services. To overcome obstacles and increase the acceptance and usage of AI technologies in university libraries, the study recommends developing targeted training programs, properly allocating resources, and cultivating a supportive corporate culture.
Description
A Research Project Submitted In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of the Degree of Master of Library and Information Science in the School of Pure and Applied Sciences of Kenyatta University, June 2025.
Supervisor
Martin Gichugu