Shaping library and information services delivery through innovation and technology at the University of Zambia

Abstract

Information and Communications Technology has brought about a paradigm shift in the way library services are being delivered. The digital revolution motivated by technology innovation has transformed academic libraries. Technology has impacted on every sphere of academic library activity such as acquisition, organisation, storage, retrieval and delivery of information both in print and digital formats. Academic libraries support the core business (teaching, learning and research activities) of the parent institutions. Therefore the need for these institutions to innovate becomes imperative. This study attempts to highlight innovative library services (e.g. subscription to online resources, open access institutional repository, dynamic website, information literacy programs, etc.) that have been successfully adopted at the University of Zambia with the aim of investigating staff perceptions toward technology based innovation. Using a qualitative research design, interviews were conducted with six (6) key informants between June and August, 2017. The 6 librarians were purposively sampled from a population of 55 librarians working in the University of Zambia Library. It was established that innovation was crucial if the library was to be relevant in this era, hence the need for all stakeholders to develop realistic strategies that would keep the library afloat in this age and beyond. The findings of this study will inform stakeholders on how best to align service delivery for the benefit of the user community. The paper concludes by noting some barriers to innovation and proposes areas for enhancement.