Importance of Library Management System in Improving Information Access in Tanzanian Higher Learning Institutions
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Date
2025-10-11
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology
Abstract
The Library Management Systems (LMS) are crucial in the promotion of efficiency, access, and delivery of
services in academic libraries, especially in the universities of Tanzania. With the digitalization of the education sector, the
utilization of competent LMS tools is a necessity due to the needs of students, faculty, and researchers during the process of
transformation. This paper discusses the importance of LMS in the university libraries in Tanzania regarding the
functionality of such systems to the process of cataloging, circulation, acquisition, user accesses, and use of digital resources.
The given research uses a sample of 120 respondents in different universities so as to examine how effective is the usage of
LMS, challenges related to their usage, and the perceived benefits of their usage. The results demonstrated that LMS can
enhance user satisfaction, automate information retrieval, complement an academic progression, and minimize the amount
of workload that has to be undertaken manually by the library personnel. It also scales up the idea of inter-library
cooperation and surplus supply of resources and resources, filling the breakage between the physical and digital libraries.
Though these prove to be beneficial, there are challenges that are faced including inept ICT infrastructure, limited librarian
technical expertise, and variable funding to complete LMS implementation and functions. The paper identifies the
persistence of problems with the lack of necessity and out datedness of LMS implementation, inefficient organization of
information and the delivery of services as the most frequent ones. These weaknesses are detrimental to academic purpose
of universities and generate inequality in access to information. The study highlights the importance of giving a high priority
to the development of LMS and overcoming the existing obstacles and provide equal access to information and subsequent
enhancement of the performance of libraries. It offers findings that policymakers, librarians, university management can
utilize in order to advance LMS systems, and create more sustainable open, and user-friendly academic libraries in
Tanzania.
Description
Keywords
Library Management System, University Libraries, Information Technology, Digital Resources.