Abstract:
Background: The adoption of ChatGPT in reference services delivery among academic
libraries is perceived as an innovation aimed at replacing traditional reference services.
Purpose: This study examines the challenges and opportunities of implementing
ChatGPT in reference service delivery within academic libraries.
Methods: A systematic review was conducted using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting
Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework. Various databases were
consulted, including DOAJ, EBSCOhost, Google Scholar, and Emerald. A total of 123
articles were retrieved, of which 47 (38.2%) met the selection criteria. The study is guided
by the theory of diffusion of innovation. The theory provides effective frameworks for
explaining the adoption and use of technology inorganisations.
Results: The findings revealed that ChatGPT offers several benefits when integrated into
reference service delivery.These benefits include its ability to provide prompt responses
to users, 24/7 accessibility, research assistance, support for information literacy, and
information retrieval. The study established that, despite its potential for libraries,
ChatGPT has several drawbacks, including a lack of privacy and security, the potential to
provide incorrect answers to users, and inherent bias.
Conclusion: The study revealed that the integration of ChatGPT in reference service
delivery across academic libraries will not completely replace the role of reference librarians,
as they will be required to intervene and respond to users’ queries should ChatGPT fail.
Recommendations: The study recommends that librarians acquire the necessary skills
to use ChatGPT for providing reference services. They should also train users to become
skilful information consumers with the ability to evaluate content generated by ChatGPT
