A Systematic Study of the Adoption, Need, and Challenges of Avatar Technology in Nigerian Academic Libraries

Abstract

The dynamism of the global ecosystem has facilitated the invention and emergence of many technologies in recent times aimed at easing the way things are done and information disseminated. One such technology is the avatar. This paper to this end takes a look at avatar and why it is needed in academic libraries in Nigeria. The study applied a qualitative research design, utilizing the explanatory research approach to examine the need for libraries to utilize Avatar technology in the contemporary digital ecosystem. A systematic examination of related literature was carried out in the cause of the study, with special reference on articles that gave concise and accurate information on Avatar technology using various search engines and websites such as, Google cloud, Google Search, Google Scholar and ResearchGate, AcademiaEdu and other related websites. The paper discussed avatar from the conceptual point of view, tracing the root of the concept and why it is needed in academic libraries. The paper also looked at some ethical issues to be considered in the use of avatar in academic libraries such as identity creation as well as the challenges of using the technology in academic libraries. The paper recommended inter-alia; that there is the need for librarians to be trained and retrained on the intricacies of the art of avatar representations in the library and they in-turn, train the users for effective service delivery and harnessing the gains of avatar technology in a digital ecosystem.