Librarians’ awareness, acceptability, and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries. Multigroup analysis via PLS‒SEM

Previous studies have examined the application of AI in education. However, specific studies that looks at how these tools are used in the Nigeria context were mostly on teaching, research, and administration, thereby failing to address issues of AI in modern library service delivery. This study fil...

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Main Authors: Imelda Barong Edam-Agbor, Faith Sylvester Orim, Usani Joseph Ofem, Patience Ekpang, Alice Echu, Tanne Okim Okim, Moses Agba Undie, Blessing Ogunjimi, Isu Micheal Egbe, Oluwaseun Omowumi Akin-Fakorede, Ahmed Baba Gombe, Cecilia Undie Angrey, Dymphina Abua, Mary Sunday Enidiok
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-01-01
Series:Social Sciences and Humanities Open
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125000609
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author Imelda Barong Edam-Agbor
Faith Sylvester Orim
Usani Joseph Ofem
Patience Ekpang
Alice Echu
Tanne Okim Okim
Moses Agba Undie
Blessing Ogunjimi
Isu Micheal Egbe
Oluwaseun Omowumi Akin-Fakorede
Ahmed Baba Gombe
Cecilia Undie Angrey
Dymphina Abua
Mary Sunday Enidiok
author_facet Imelda Barong Edam-Agbor
Faith Sylvester Orim
Usani Joseph Ofem
Patience Ekpang
Alice Echu
Tanne Okim Okim
Moses Agba Undie
Blessing Ogunjimi
Isu Micheal Egbe
Oluwaseun Omowumi Akin-Fakorede
Ahmed Baba Gombe
Cecilia Undie Angrey
Dymphina Abua
Mary Sunday Enidiok
author_sort Imelda Barong Edam-Agbor
collection DOAJ
description Previous studies have examined the application of AI in education. However, specific studies that looks at how these tools are used in the Nigeria context were mostly on teaching, research, and administration, thereby failing to address issues of AI in modern library service delivery. This study fills a research gap by exploring the librarian awareness, acceptability, and application of AI tools in Nigerian libraries, as well as probing further the impact of gender and school ownership on this nexus. A cross sectional survey involving a total of 3783 librarians was carried out. Structural equation modelling with multi group analysis performed to determine the dimensionality of the scale and factor structures as well test the conceptual model using SmartPLS 3. The result indicated that librarian's level of levels of awareness, acceptability, and application of AI in research library service delivery is high, with significant disparity based on gender and school ownership. Females' librarians and private institutions ownership exhibited a stronger application of AI in library service delivery. Additionally, acceptance was found to mediate the relationship between awareness and AI application effectively, but this difference was stronger in female librarian. Awareness has a positive impact on acceptability but negative impact on application of AI. Acceptability also impacted application positively. These insights underscore the importance of considering demographic factors when implementing AI in library services in Nigeria.
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spelling doaj-art-99222d8c4f1d4bfda474243c6bb352ec2025-08-20T02:37:03ZengElsevierSocial Sciences and Humanities Open2590-29112025-01-011110133310.1016/j.ssaho.2025.101333Librarians’ awareness, acceptability, and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries. Multigroup analysis via PLS‒SEMImelda Barong Edam-Agbor0Faith Sylvester Orim1Usani Joseph Ofem2Patience Ekpang3Alice Echu4Tanne Okim Okim5Moses Agba Undie6Blessing Ogunjimi7Isu Micheal Egbe8Oluwaseun Omowumi Akin-Fakorede9Ahmed Baba Gombe10Cecilia Undie Angrey11Dymphina Abua12Mary Sunday Enidiok13Department of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaAlex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Nigeria; Corresponding author.Department of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaDepartment of Library and Information Science, University of Calabar, NigeriaPrevious studies have examined the application of AI in education. However, specific studies that looks at how these tools are used in the Nigeria context were mostly on teaching, research, and administration, thereby failing to address issues of AI in modern library service delivery. This study fills a research gap by exploring the librarian awareness, acceptability, and application of AI tools in Nigerian libraries, as well as probing further the impact of gender and school ownership on this nexus. A cross sectional survey involving a total of 3783 librarians was carried out. Structural equation modelling with multi group analysis performed to determine the dimensionality of the scale and factor structures as well test the conceptual model using SmartPLS 3. The result indicated that librarian's level of levels of awareness, acceptability, and application of AI in research library service delivery is high, with significant disparity based on gender and school ownership. Females' librarians and private institutions ownership exhibited a stronger application of AI in library service delivery. Additionally, acceptance was found to mediate the relationship between awareness and AI application effectively, but this difference was stronger in female librarian. Awareness has a positive impact on acceptability but negative impact on application of AI. Acceptability also impacted application positively. These insights underscore the importance of considering demographic factors when implementing AI in library services in Nigeria.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125000609Multi group analysisArtificial intelligence applicationAwarenessAcceptabilityExploratory factor analysis
spellingShingle Imelda Barong Edam-Agbor
Faith Sylvester Orim
Usani Joseph Ofem
Patience Ekpang
Alice Echu
Tanne Okim Okim
Moses Agba Undie
Blessing Ogunjimi
Isu Micheal Egbe
Oluwaseun Omowumi Akin-Fakorede
Ahmed Baba Gombe
Cecilia Undie Angrey
Dymphina Abua
Mary Sunday Enidiok
Librarians’ awareness, acceptability, and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries. Multigroup analysis via PLS‒SEM
Social Sciences and Humanities Open
Multi group analysis
Artificial intelligence application
Awareness
Acceptability
Exploratory factor analysis
title Librarians’ awareness, acceptability, and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries. Multigroup analysis via PLS‒SEM
title_full Librarians’ awareness, acceptability, and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries. Multigroup analysis via PLS‒SEM
title_fullStr Librarians’ awareness, acceptability, and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries. Multigroup analysis via PLS‒SEM
title_full_unstemmed Librarians’ awareness, acceptability, and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries. Multigroup analysis via PLS‒SEM
title_short Librarians’ awareness, acceptability, and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries. Multigroup analysis via PLS‒SEM
title_sort librarians awareness acceptability and application of artificial intelligence in academic research libraries multigroup analysis via pls sem
topic Multi group analysis
Artificial intelligence application
Awareness
Acceptability
Exploratory factor analysis
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590291125000609
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