LAUTECH Library Positions Human Capacity at the Centre of AI-Driven Transformation
As libraries navigate a rapidly changing information environment shaped by artificial intelligence and digital technologies, the Olusegun Oke Library of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, is placing staff capacity at the centre of its transformation agenda.
The Library commenced a two-day capacity building programme on Monday, 21 September 2026, with the theme, “Transforming Library Services Through AI and Digital Innovation,” bringing together Library staff and other members of the University community for practical engagement with emerging technologies and their implications for library services.
Rather than treating technology as an end in itself, the programme is focused on how Library professionals can use emerging tools to rethink workflows, improve access to information and create more responsive services for students, researchers and other users.
Speaking at the programme, the University Librarian, Prof. Adefunke Sarah Ebijuwa, said the training was intended to prepare staff for the Library the University is building.
“We cannot build a new Library with old capabilities,” she said.
According to her, the Library’s digital transformation requires more than the acquisition of technologies. It requires staff who are willing to learn, experiment, question existing practices and apply professional judgement in a rapidly evolving technological environment.
Prof. Ebijuwa noted that the Library had already commenced its digital journey, including the development of the Olusegun Oke Mobile Library App, but stressed that the broader objective was to create a Library that is not merely digital, but smarter and more responsive to its users.
She challenged staff to move beyond simply using technology to thinking with technology—identifying opportunities where AI and other emerging tools can simplify processes, strengthen services and improve the experience of Library users.
The programme is being facilitated by Mr Sylvester Ebhonu, Digital Librarian at Admiralty University of Nigeria, and Mr Boluwatife Emmanuel Ojo, Venture Associate and Programme Manager at Nobellum.
The sessions are taking an interactive and practical approach, with participants exploring the changing role of librarians, artificial intelligence, digital innovation and emerging possibilities for the future of Library services.
For the Olusegun Oke Library, the training represents more than a staff development exercise. It is part of an intentional effort to equip the people behind the Library’s transformation with the capabilities required to translate technological possibilities into meaningful services.
The expectation is that the conversations and practical learning from the programme will extend beyond the training room into everyday Library operations, encouraging staff to rethink how they work, how users interact with the Library and how the Library can remain relevant in an increasingly AI-enabled University environment.
