Reinventing academic libraries in Kenya

Abstract

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to review recent initiatives by academic libraries in Kenya aimed at reinventing, re-engineering, and providing innovative information products and services to support learning and research activities or aspirations of their institutions.

Design/methodology/approach – The review utilized literature surveys of currently published articles.

Findings – The review provides some answers to the various challenges facing academic libraries in Kenya in the process of providing adequate information services. The review also provides useful information on how academic libraries in developing countries including Kenya can withstand the ever-changing information environment by adopting entrepreneurial approaches to manage information.

Originality/value – The paper reveals that academic libraries in Kenya are facing daunting challenges in their effort to provide knowledge to support learning and research activities in their institutions. These challenges include: changing information environment and media landscape, technological innovation, user expectations, and economical forces. This forces them to adopt innovative approaches to manage and deliver information products and services. These approaches include: building new learning resource centers or refurbishing existing academic libraries, creation and development of digital institutional repositories, providing technological systems, understanding the information audience, and innovative information products and services.