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Stream/Area:
-
Subject:
-
Paper ID:
IJSREM68671
Volume:
10 |
11 |
Nov 2026
Pages:
1-15
Publication Frequency:
Monthly (12 issues per year)
License:International Journal of Scientific Research in Engineering and Management follows the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 (CC BY 4.0) License, allowing free use and distribution with proper attribution.
Library and Information Science
University of Lucknow
Department of Library and Information Science,
University of Lucknow, India
Consortium of Tanzania University and Research Libraries (COTUL) is a coordinated network of academic libraries in Tanzania which aims to offer services in a coordinated manner, access to online resources, and professional trainings for librarians to enhance services in the digital era. This research paper examined how the capacity building programs by COTUL influenced the professional skills, library services and relevance of the librarians in academic institutions. It also explored issues that confront the continuous professional development of academic librarians, how they have been tackled, and the significance of such programs for helping academic librarians fulfill their changing roles in a rapidly changing digital environment. Data was collected through a mixed method comprising of both surveys and interviews from 10 University libraries in Tanzania with a total of 120 library staff. The results showed that the training and capacity building programmes of COTUL helped the librarians to perform their duties better, especially in providing customers with services and supporting academic and research activities. Nevertheless, university libraries still encounter challenges to achieve constant professional growth and meet all demands of the digital transformation. The study findings indicate that COTUL has a significant role to play in enhancing competencies of librarians and the academic library services in Tanzania. However, there are still some obstacles to the effectiveness of continuous professional development (CPD) in the digital era. The authors suggest increased cooperation amongst the member institutions to overcome the challenges, build capacity, develop library services and boost student academic achievement.
KEYWORDS
The Consortium of Tanzania University and Research Libraries (COTUL) help universities access electronic scholarly content yet faces problems with implementing this access. Library staff and user training along with sustainable funding acquisition will be essential to minimize diverse obstacles and obtain membership benefits of the consortium. The research outcomes offer strong value for improving academic Institution collaboration across Tanzania to achieve their shared intellectual activity goals.
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Publication Date
11/2/2026
Peer Review Type
Double-Blind Peer Review
Review Rounds: 2
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Conflict of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest related to this research work.
Funding Information
No funding information available for this research.
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