Librarian’s Perception and Skill Sets for the Use of Metaverse in Universities in Nigerian

Abstract

The term "metaverse" is generally used to describe the shared virtual environment that is formed as a result of the collision between virtual and physical realities. As the Metaverse continues to evolve, libraries are faced with both new opportunities and challenges, which call for a fresh set of skills from librarians. The study therefore investigates Librarian’s perception and skill sets for the use of metaverse in universities in Nigeria. The population includes all librarians in Nigeria. Data were gathered via an online questionnaire that was distributed to respondents through Nigerian Library Association state chapter WhatsApp groups across Nigeria. 162 online responses were received, only 148 were valid and used for the analysis. Mean scores were used to analyze the data. Results of the analysis show that librarians perceived that metaverse promote virtual tours, improve accessibility for people with disability, promote virtual learning spaces and enhance information retrieval. The skills set librarians possess for the uses of metaverse in libraries were Computer literacy skill, Collaboration skill while, digital marketing skills, technical proficiency skills were not possessed by librarians. Librarians perceived challenges were High Investment cost, Shortage of trained personnel, mental health issues, Privacy and security challenge. The study suggested, among other things, that Librarians should engage in ongoing professional development programs to stay abreast of emerging trends and technologies and librarians should advocate for institutional support and investment in metaverse technologies. Keywords: Librarian, Perception, Skills, Metaverse Technology, Library, Nigeria.