HARNESSING DIGITAL TECHNOLOGIES IN CREATING AN INTELLIGENT ACADEMIC COMMUNITY

AN OPPORTUNITY FOR ACADEMIC LIBRARY AND INFORMATION PROFESSIONALS

Abstract

High creation, and increase in the discovery of information sources and recorded knowledge in today’s changing world is characterized as digital data. Digital literacy has been, and continued to progress through diverse sources of information, which include the social media such as Facebook, LinkedIn, e-mails, tweeter, WhatsApp etc., which generate enormous amount of data comprising of digital recordings, images, audio and video files, presentations and all other machine-generated data. This has led to an innovative expansion in the process of data storage, organisation, processing and analysis. This paper explored digital technologies, exposes professional librarians to its potentials and the possibilities of its conceptualization to economically develop and enhance the routines transformation process of library operations and delivery of information services. Methodological approach comprises of qualitative technique with semi-structured interviews from various academic libraries over telephone lines, as well as literature search for documents relating to digital technologies. Based on a review, findings revealed the perception of digital technologies, opportunities available and the likely challenges that affect the provision of library and information services in digital age. However, it has been learnt that digital technologies has not been perfectly incorporated into academic libraries in developing countries. Even though, effort is being made to assimilate it in several academic libraries in Nigeria.