Knowledge and skills requirements of National University of Lesotho librarians in meeting information needs of humanities undergraduate students in the digital age

Abstract

Digital age has transformed higher education and this has affected the roles of academic libraries as well. The digital age, in the context of this study, refers to an era where information management services such as organisation, management, retrieval, and transfer of information are done primarily by using computers and other technology devices. In this era, contemporary technologies such as social media, the Internet and other technology tools have become the driving forces in the dissemination and communication of information (Schmidt and Cohen, 2013; Tella, Akande and Bamidele, 2018). Academic librarians are under pressure since they need to embrace and adapt to technological changes in order to meet users’ needs. This study was conducted to ascertain the knowledge and skills requirements of librarians in the digital era academic library environment, in the context of Lesotho, using the case study of the National University of Lesotho (NUL). Convergent parallel mixed methods approach within a pragmativist paradigm and case study design informed the methodology. The target population included NUL librarians and humanities undergraduate students. Data were collected via face-to-face semi-structured interviews with librarians and a structured questionnaire for students. The study concludes that a blend of disciplinary, generic and personal competencies is required for librarians to meet the library related information needs in the current digital age.