Preparedness of Librarians for AI-Generated Metadata Management: A Case Study of University Librarians in South–West, Nigeria
Temitope Oluwabunmi Mabawonku, Olayinka Buraimo · Journal of Library Metadata · 2025
This study investigates the preparedness of university librarians in South–West Nigeria for managing AI-generated metadata. Using a mixed-method approach, the study examines librarians’ awareness, skills, and attitudes toward adopting AI tools for metadata management. Data were collected from 150 librarians across 19 public universities via structured questionnaires and semistructured interviews. The findings reveal that while there is moderate awareness of AI tools, with GPT-4 being the most recognized, familiarity with other tools like Vision AI and AutoML remains low. Librarians demonstrated moderate proficiency in organizing and curating AI-generated data but lack advanced technical skills in areas such as AI integration and problem-solving. Despite these skill gaps, librarians expressed a positive attitude toward AI adoption, showing readiness to learn and adapt. However, concerns were raised about the reliability of AI-generated metadata compared to traditional methods. The study concludes that targeted training programs and improved infrastructure are necessary to enhance librarians’ technical capabilities and fully leverage AI for metadata management. Recommendations include comprehensive AI training, expanding awareness of diverse AI tools for metadata management, and fostering collaboration with AI specialist.