Artificial intelligence integration in academic libraries in South Africa: a Web analysis

Purpose The purpose of this study is to explore practical applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in academic libraries in South Africa. This study used Web content analysis focussing on university library websites and LibGuides. Design/methodology/approach The integration of AI in academic libraries is a trend globally. However, there remains a debilitating lack of studies that report the practical applications of AI in academic libraries. Triggered by this gap, this study sought to explore practical applications of AI in academic libraries in South Africa. This study used Web content analysis focussing on university library websites and LibGuides. Key thematic trends were identified such as AI guidelines and policies, AI advocacy, AI literacy training, AI scholarly engagement and AI-powered resources and services, among others. Findings Key thematic trends were identified such as AI guidelines and policies, AI advocacy, AI literacy training, AI scholarly engagement and AI-powered resources and services, among others. While these libraries are shown to embrace AI through their advocacy efforts and participation in intellectual discourse, there is very little evidence of them leveraging advanced AI tools such as robotics and AI chatbots to improve library efficiencies. This study concludes by calling for the development of AI policies, heightened investment in AI infrastructure, closer cooperation and skills development to maximise AI benefits in university libraries. Research limitations/implications The results of this study point to a need for collaborative effort to offer AI literacy to students. This will heighten ethical use of AI for research, teaching and learning. In addition, there needs to be ongoing debates and discussions on the best practices to adopt AI in academic libraries. Given that the field is new, there is a lot that practitioners and scholars can learn from each other and among each other through case studies. If properly embraced, then AI can improve efficiencies in academic libraries’ processes and free staff time so that they can focus on more complex functions that require human intuition and ability. Practical implications These results point to a need for collaborative effort to offer AI literacy to students. This will heighten ethical use of AI for research, teaching and learning. In addition, ongoing debates and discussions on the best practices to adopt AI in academic libraries are required. Given that the field is new, there is a lot that practitioners and scholars can learn from each other and among each other through case studies. If properly embraced, then AI can improve efficiencies in academic libraries’ processes and free staff time so that they can focus on complex tasks that require human intuition and ability. Originality/value Academic library literature in AI is mostly exploratory with very little in the way of practical implementations. This study goes beyond theoretical discussions and provides compelling evidence of how AI is currently integrated in academic libraries in South Africa.