This study aims to examine the views, expectations and concerns of academic library users in Türkiye towards AI-enabled services.
The research was conducted using the survey model. The study included 1,142 academic library users selected through a stratified random sampling method from seven geographical regions of Türkiye. A questionnaire developed by the researchers consisting of three sections was used as a data collection tool: Demographic information, current library services usage and satisfaction, opinions and expectations for AI-supported library services.
The findings indicate that users are generally satisfied with the current library services but have difficulties in accessing electronic resources (75.04%), using databases (73.12%) and finding resources (68.48%). Most respondents (69.7%) have a positive view of artificial intelligence (AI) assisted library services and are most interested in the virtual library assistant (88.27%), advanced natural language processing search engine (86.08%) and intelligent resource recommendation system (85.64%). However, users are concerned about the privacy and security of personal data (73.73%), becoming dependent on technology (46.58%) and reduced human interaction (44.31%). The study shows that academic libraries in Türkiye can significantly improve the user experience by integrating AI technologies.
This is one of the pioneering studies that comprehensively analyzes user perceptions of AI-enabled services in academic libraries in a developing country context. The findings provide library managers, policy makers and researchers worldwide with valuable insights into the potential benefits and challenges of integrating AI technologies in academic libraries.
