Digital Literacy and Skills of Information Professionals in the 21st Century

In a time of rapid technological development and constantly growing digital environment,information professionals are essential to the efficient management, organization and sharing ofknowledge. To understand and take advantage of the changing technology platforms, theseprofessionals need to possess strong digital literacy and technological abilities in addition totheir traditional competencies. This study examined expected digital literacy and skills requiredof information professionals in the 21st Century. Survey research design was adopted for thisstudy. The population of the study consisted of 49 library personnel from Fatiu AdemolaAkesode Library, Lagos State University, Ojo, Lagos, Nigeria. Total enumeration was adoptedfor the study. Questionnaire was used for data collection and data collected was analysed usingfrequency counts, simple percentages, standard deviation. The results were presented in tablesand percentages. The findings revealed that the level of digital literacy skills of librarypersonnel in Fatiu Ademola Akesode Library was high. Attendance of trainings on digitalliteracy exposed the respondents to the current skills and trends in ICT. Institutional supportand sponsorship to attend trainings motivates the respondent, making them to be moreproductive. Digital literacy tools mostly used by information professionals include Facebook,Youtube and Snapchat (social media tools), Google and yahoo (search engines), KOHA andLibib (Library Management Software) and Google meet and zoom (web conferencing tools).Challenges to digital literacy skills acquisition were inability of respondents to access thecentral internet from their respective offices, uncooperative attitude of ICT personnel in theinstitution to provide assistance when needed and biased selection of candidates for sponsoredtrainings. Digital literacy and skills are requisite skills required of information professionals.Therefore, library management should encourage information professionals to attend trainings,workshops and conferences on digital literacy skills. Library management should also provideinternet connection and stable electricity supply within the library at all times.