Ghanaian University Libraries’ Preparedness for the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Abstract

As the world is experiencing technological development, the 4IR is taking prominence in the provision of information to library clients. In a doctoral study  which investigated performance management in Ghanaian university libraries, one of the objectives explored was how the fourth industrial  revolution has affected the performance of Ghanaian university libraries. Using a mixed methods research approach, the views of 218 university  librarians were elicited from selected universities in Ghana. The study found that a significant proportion of Ghanaian university libraries did not apply  any 4IR technologies although they were aware of their benefits. Furthermore, the few libraries which did, only applied the aspects of Internet of Things  (IoT), cybersecurity and cloud computing. Moreover, most of the libraries were not adequately prepared for implementing 4IR technologies. The study  recommends that in order for Ghanaian libraries to remain relevant, address clients’ changing needs in terms of information provision and yield high  performance, library management should strive to adopt and use most of the 4IR technologies.