Meta-Literacy for Librarians and Users in an Era of Metaverse Technology: Librarians Point of View

Abstract

Metaverse which is one the contemporary technologies that is shaping the way information is acquired  and managed in the digital ecosystem entails the acquisition of special skill for both the librarians and the library user to be able to harness the gain of digital togetherness and the associated experience. This study is an enquiry into ascertaining the views of librarians as it concerns the need for metaverse in libraries and meta-literacy for librarians and library users in this era of metaverse.  The study used descriptive survey research design approach with the aim of collecting data on and describing in a systematic manner the characteristics features and facts about the given population.  The sampled population for this study was 8200 selected through purposive sampling technique among 7850 registered librarians in Nigeria from different types of libraries in Nigeria with the exception of the school librarians since no primary or secondary school in Nigeria could boast of a certified librarians.  The sampled librarians were identified and selected with the help of Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria list of certified librarians in Nigeria as at 2023. The primary instrument used in this study for data collection is the questionnaire.  Apart from section ‘A’ of the instrument which dealt with demographic data the other aspect of the instrument was structured according to the modified Likert scale on four point rating scale while data collected were analyzed using frequencies, simple percentiles and presented in tables.  The study was able to ascertain from the librarians the benefits of adopting metaverse in the library and why there is need for meta-literacy for both the librarians and the library users as well as what they felt would be the challenges against the application of metaverse technology in libraries in Nigeria. It was discovered that the librarians were aware of the potentials of metaverse towards effective library services and that the potentials of the technology requires that both librarians and library users need to be meta-literate for the to gain the prowess to adeptly interact with digital information within the digital world of metaverse while on the other hand, lack of robust technological infrastructure and access to requisite technology and equipment that may curtail some users' full engagement in the virtual sphere are among the identified challenges that can hinder the implementation of metaverse technology in libraries in Nigeria.  The study recommended that libraries should encourage regular training and re-training as well as giving all desirable back-ups to digital librarians and library users, ensuring the up-to-date of their meta-literacy skills through workshops, webinars and online courses among others.