QUALITY ASSURANCE IN LIBRARIES IN THE ERA OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
African Higher Education Leaders, students, other stakeholders, teaching and support staff, agreed that academic libraries must become strategic partners in Quality Assurance (QA) and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-Driven Education during a panel discussion Webinar organized by the Global Quality Assurance Association (GQAA) and the Accra Technical University (ATU) on the 30th of August 2026. Â The 2 entities convened higher education leaders, librarians, QA professionals, researchers, students, and policymakers from across Africa for a high-level webinar that challenged institutions to fundamentally rethink the role of academic libraries in an increasingly digital and AI-driven world within a quality assured milieu of ethical operations.
The webinar, hosted under GQAA’s growing Library Convention and Webinar Series, explored the theme entitled: Repositioning Academic Libraries as Strategic Partners in Quality Assurance, Teaching, Learning, Research, and Institutional Excellence. Building on the success of GQAA’s Library Conventions held in 2023, 2024, and 2025, the event showcased practical innovations, emerging trends, and collaborative approaches that are already transforming libraries across the continent through the GQAA’s intervention programmes contributing to the renewed role of libraries, knowledge management and information services.
The webinar was officially opened by Dr. Violet Makuku, Director of GQAA, alongside Dr. Florence Plokyi, Accra Technical University Librarian. The session was moderated by Miss Tariro Munodawafa, who guided rich discussions among keynote speakers, panelists, and participants from multiple African countries.
DR VIOLET MAKUKU CALLS FOR ACADEMIC LIBRARIES TO BECOME STRATEGIC COLLABORATIVE SERVICE HUBS
Dr Makuku’s message was reinforced throughout the webinar: libraries must no longer be viewed simply as buildings that store books on shelves. She noted with concern that some university leaders and managers often recognize libraries during accreditation exercises only, while frequently excluding them from strategic planning, institutional budgeting, and broader discussions about educational innovation. She emphasized that libraries should instead be recognized as dynamic service hubs supporting teaching, research, innovation, student success, and institutional quality. She cited several priorities of library involvement which include:
Strengthening AI literacy and digital literacy programmes
Expanding research data management and open science services
Preserving African indigenous knowledge through digital archives
Developing innovation hubs equipped with collaborative technologies
Extending library services beyond physical campuses through digital platforms
Enhancing partnerships between libraries, ICT departments, faculty, and quality assurance units
Measuring library impact through student learning outcomes rather than book circulation alone
Dr Makuku suggested one innovative proposal of establishing university-controlled digital hubs and decentralized access points to improve off-campus access for students in underserved communities. Another recommendation called for accreditation agencies to begin evaluating institutions on digital accessibility, Internet coverage, and remote library services as part of future QA standards. She highlighted practical examples of collaboration already taking place across Africa while emphasizing that curriculum design should actively involve librarians, AI-powered virtual library assistants, to improve access to services, and greater library visibility through community engagement, outreach programmes, and social media. All this is essential if libraries are to remain relevant, she said. Dr Makuku also encouraged library, knowledge management and information services personnel to explore opportunities to strengthen academic libraries at all levels, support reading literacy initiatives, mobilize grant funding, and co-design library services alongside students to ensure they respond to evolving educational needs.
The webinar was officially opened by Dr. Violet Makuku, Director of GQAA, alongside Dr. Florence Plokyi, Accra Technical University Librarian. The session was moderated by Miss Tariro Munodawafa, who guided rich discussions among keynote speakers, panelists, and participants from multiple African countries.
DR VIOLET MAKUKU CALLS FOR ACADEMIC LIBRARIES TO BECOME STRATEGIC COLLABORATIVE SERVICE HUBS
Dr Makuku’s message was reinforced throughout the webinar: libraries must no longer be viewed simply as buildings that store books on shelves. She noted with concern that some university leaders and managers often recognize libraries during accreditation exercises only, while frequently excluding them from strategic planning, institutional budgeting, and broader discussions about educational innovation. She emphasized that libraries should instead be recognized as dynamic service hubs supporting teaching, research, innovation, student success, and institutional quality. She cited several priorities of library involvement which include:
Strengthening AI literacy and digital literacy programmes
Expanding research data management and open science services
Preserving African indigenous knowledge through digital archives
Developing innovation hubs equipped with collaborative technologies
Extending library services beyond physical campuses through digital platforms
Enhancing partnerships between libraries, ICT departments, faculty, and quality assurance units
Measuring library impact through student learning outcomes rather than book circulation alone
Dr Makuku suggested one innovative proposal of establishing university-controlled digital hubs and decentralized access points to improve off-campus access for students in underserved communities. Another recommendation called for accreditation agencies to begin evaluating institutions on digital accessibility, Internet coverage, and remote library services as part of future QA standards. She highlighted practical examples of collaboration already taking place across Africa while emphasizing that curriculum design should actively involve librarians, AI-powered virtual library assistants, to improve access to services, and greater library visibility through community engagement, outreach programmes, and social media. All this is essential if libraries are to remain relevant, she said. Dr Makuku also encouraged library, knowledge management and information services personnel to explore opportunities to strengthen academic libraries at all levels, support reading literacy initiatives, mobilize grant funding, and co-design library services alongside students to ensure they respond to evolving educational needs.
Libraries as the Original Custodians of Quality
Delivering her keynote address, Prof. Evelyn Garwe reminded participants that quality assurance did not originate from accreditation agencies but it started in the libraries. According to Prof. Garwe, libraries have always safeguarded the principles of truth, authenticity, access, accountability, and trust. These are values that remain central to quality assurance today. She identified five foundational quality standards for modern libraries as access, accuracy, equity, memorable user experience and accountability.
As AI is rapidly reshaping higher education, Prof. Garwe emphasized that it should strengthen and not replace the work of professional librarians. “The question is no longer whether we can find information,” she explained. “The question is whether we can trust the journey by which information is presented.” She cautioned institutions against the growing risks associated with AI-generated content, including misinformation, algorithmic bias, copyright challenges, privacy concerns, surveillance, digital exclusion, and over-reliance on automated systems. To help institutions respond effectively and ethically to AI, she introduced the TRUST Framework for libraries operating in the AI era:
T – Truth and Traceability
R – Rights and Responsibility
U – Universally Accessible
S – Service that remains human-centered
T – Transformation through continuous improvement
Sharing institutional best practices, Prof. Garwe described successful partnerships with publishers and AI companies that allow institutions to retain copyright ownership while expanding institutional repositories and improving the visibility of African scholarship. Her keynote concluded with a memorable analogy: “Artificial Intelligence is like rain, abundant and powerful. Without guidance it floods. Quality assurance is the irrigation system that channels it into wisdom and growth.”
Quality Assurance Begins with Quality Library Services
The second keynote speech was delivered by Ms. Patricia Chebet of Kabarak University, Kenya, who demonstrated how structured quality management systems can transform library performance and educational outcomes. Drawing on Kabarak University’s implementation of ISO 9001:2015, she illustrated how library QA should extend beyond collections to include service delivery, accessibility, technology, staff competence, information literacy, and continuous improvement. Participants learned how Kabarak University has embedded quality through:
Comprehensive quality policies and documentation
Annual performance indicators and measurable targets
User satisfaction surveys and focus groups
Continuous professional development for staff
Technology integration through discovery tools, Learning Management Systems (LMS), and digital platforms
Risk management for funding, technology, and institutional change
She emphasized that effective library QA directly strengthens teaching and learning by aligning collections with curricula, embedding information literacy into academic programmes, supporting faculty research, and ensuring equitable access to learning resources. Recognizing persistent challenges across Africa including constrained budgets, staffing shortages, and uneven digital infrastructure, Ms. Chebet encouraged institutions to integrate library QA into institutional QA directorates rather than allowing libraries to operate in isolation.
Students Want Libraries That Teach, Guide, and Innovate
Representing the All-Africa Students Union, Mr. Divine Edem Kwadzodeh delivered a compelling student perspective on the future of academic libraries. Speaking on behalf of student unions across the 55 African countries, he observed that many students still perceive libraries primarily as quiet reading spaces rather than active partners in learning and research. He noted that Africa’s rapidly growing youth population presents both an opportunity and an urgent call to action. Mr. Divine argued that libraries should become “trust anchors” in the AI era by teaching students how to evaluate AI-generated information, verify evidence, disclose AI usage appropriately, and preserve critical thinking. He also advocated for stronger investment in reliable Internet connectivity, cybersecurity, digital repositories, research support services, and innovation spaces that empower students to transform research into real-world solutions. Students increasingly expect libraries to provide:
Seamless physical and digital learning experiences
Off-campus access to electronic resources
Visible librarians who provide orientation, research clinics, and academic support
Assistance with citations, databases, open access publishing, and responsible AI use
Fast and responsive feedback mechanisms
LOOKING AHEAD
In her closing remarks, Dr. Florence Plockey emphasized the importance of stronger collaboration between libraries, student representative bodies, ICT departments, and academic staff to improve access to library services and continuously build staff capacity. Closing the webinar, Dr. Violet Makuku challenged librarians across Africa to become proactive champions of institutional transformation. She encouraged library professionals to create their own relevance through innovation, advocacy, community engagement, and strategic partnerships while reaffirming GQAA’s commitment to supporting institutions through capacity-building programmes, resource mobilization workshops, and grant-writing initiatives. The webinar concluded with a shared conviction that the future of higher education depends on libraries that are visible, innovative, digitally enabled, and fully integrated into institutional QA systems. As one panelist aptly summarized: “The library needs to be seen as a service, not a store. The buildings, shelves, and e-resources are simply the means. Learning, discovery, and community are the true ends.” The GQAA announced that the next similar webinar will take place on the 3rd of September 2026, with further details to be released soon. Participants were also encouraged to look forward to the Association’s upcoming Library Convention, which will continue advancing conversations on QA, AI, collaboration, innovation, and the future of academic libraries across Africa.
