Iot in Library Services: Adoption Readiness among LIS Professionals in Northern India’s IITs

Abstract

With the increasing global interest in smart technologies, including the Internet of Things (IoT), libraries are exploring innovative ways to enhancetheir services and user experience. However, in the Indian context particularly within premier institutions there remains a noticeable gap in researchon how Library and Information Science (LIS) professionals perceive and adopt IoT technologies. This study addresses that gap by investigating theadoption readiness of LIS professionals toward IoT and its practical applications in library services across five Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) inNorthern India. Grounded in the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM), there search examines how perceived ease of use (PEOU), perceived usefulness(PU), and behavioral intention influence the acceptance of IoT in library settings. A stratified sampling method was used to ensure balanced repre-sentation, and a total of 63 professionals were approached, resulting in 59valid responses. Descriptive statistics, including percentages, means, andstandard deviations, were used alongside inferential tests such as ANOVA, regression, and chi-square analysis, with p-values below 0.05 indicatingstatistical significance. F-values were used to interpret group differences,and regression helped identify predictive factors influencing IoT adoptionreadiness. The findings reveal that most LIS professionals gained IoT aware-ness through professional exposure like workshops, conferences, and peerdiscussions. While there is recognition of IoT’s potential for enhancing ser-vices such as self-checkout systems, digital reference services, and smartresource tracking, implementation remains limited, with less interestshown in domains like elderly care. The study highlights the need fortargeted training programs, supportive infrastructure, and policy frameworksto enable effective IoT adoption in libraries. By aligning empirical findingswith TAM constructs, this research not only provides actionable insights forLIS professionals but also contributes a theoretical foundation for under-standing technology adoption in academic libraries, making it a pioneeringstudy in the Indian context.