A seasoned library professional with track record of leadership across academic and school libraries in Nigeria, Ayansewa Adedeji, has been appointed co-chair of the Information Literacy Committee under the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

The appointment of Adedeji, which takes effect from July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027, is seen as a recognition of his contribution to the profession and a testament to the growing impact of African scholars and library professionals in international library networks.

Adedeji had seven years of accumulated experience and made significant strides working in different libraries and institutions in Nigeria, including his service as the head of libraries at Government College Ibadan (GCI) Apata, and Oduduwa University, Ipetumodu, Osun State, Nigeria.

In 2024, he travelled to the United States to begin his Ph.D. in Information Science at Florida State University (FSU), United States.

Speaking with journalists, Adedeji described the new leadership role with ALA as both exciting and promising for the global library community.

He said: “My role as co-chair includes providing, evaluating, and developing resources for advancing information literacy in science and engineering. It also includes developing models for assessing student performance, teaching methods, and instructional design.”

“My overall goal as a co-chair is to work in line with the vision of ACRL’s information literacy mandates and ALA at large with traceable impacts on American libraries, librarians, students, faculty, and related stakeholders in the United States.”

Adedeji appealed to stakeholders in the Nigerian library ecosystem to prioritise AI literacy.

He said: “I want to admonish the Nigerian government at all levels to intensify more efforts in supporting Nigerian libraries because the knowledge economy revolves around libraries. 

“I would also like to encourage our esteemed Librarians’ Registration Council of Nigeria (LRCN), Nigerian Library Association (NLA) and professional librarians to domesticate the recent ACRL’s AI literacy framework or develop AI literacy framework for Nigerian libraries to actively promote AI literacy in schools, colleges, and universities in Nigeria.

“Also, it is crucial to incorporate AI literacy into information literacy instruction in Nigerian libraries and institutions, especially in this era where information-seeking behaviour is increasingly being shaped by generative AI. This will ensure that Nigerian students and professionals are not left behind in the evolving knowledge economy.”

Adedeji’s scholarly interests lie at the intersection of technology, people and library services. His current research focuses on emerging areas that are increasingly reshaping the field.

“My research interest revolves around Artificial Intelligence (AI) in libraries, AI literacy, information literacy, and the future of libraries.”

The American Library Association, headquartered in Chicago, is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Its subcommittees and working groups, such as the ACRL’s Information Literacy Committee, play a crucial role in shaping policies, developing educational standards, and fostering professional development among librarians.