Automation in information management: The game-changer for knowledge centres
Ms Jackline Chekwech
What you need to know:
- The journey to full automation is not without challenges. ”
The automation of libraries, knowledge centres, documentation, and records management is transforming how knowledge is stored, accessed, and preserved in the modern age. Traditionally, libraries and records centres operated using manual systems that required significant time, labour, and physical space. With the growing demand for fast, efficient, and remote access to information, automation has become essential.
Through technologies such as Integrated Library Systems (ILS), Electronic Document and Records Management Systems (EDRMS), and digital repositories, institutions can now streamline operations, reduce errors, and meet the evolving needs of users in real time. This shift is particularly impactful in developing regions like Uganda and other African countries, where automation offers a solution to chronic understaffing, limited budgets, and infrastructure gaps. Automated library systems provide digital catalogues, online borrowing services, and instant access to e-resources, thereby extending the reach of libraries and document centres beyond their physical walls.
Users can search for materials, reserve books, or download academic content without visiting a library building. In academic and public libraries, automation supports better cataloguing, classification, and inventory control, ensuring resources are easier to find and manage. Similarly, the automation of records centres allows organisations to digitise paper files, improve filing accuracy, and track documents throughout their life cycle.
This is especially vital for government institutions and corporations that handle sensitive records requiring strict compliance, access control, and long-term preservation. Beyond efficiency, automation enhances transparency and decision-making by enabling data analysis, real time reporting, and secure information retrieval.
For instance, automated systems can generate usage statistics, monitor access trends, and identify gaps in service delivery insights that help administrators improve planning and resource allocation. Moreover, digitised records and library content contribute to national development goals by supporting e-governance, education, research, and innovation.
Automation also empowers information professionals by expanding their roles into digital curation, system management, and user training, making them indispensable in the knowledge economy. However, the journey to full automation is not without challenges. High implementation costs, lack of ICT infrastructure, staff resistance, and cybersecurity risks often hinder progress, especially in low-resource settings.
To overcome these barriers, institutions must invest in staff training, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable technology solutions.
Governments and development partners should also prioritise funding for digital infrastructure and library systems. Ultimately, automation is not about replacing people. It is about enhancing human capacity to deliver smarter, faster, and more inclusive information services. In an age where access to information defines opportunity, embracing automation is the key to unlocking Africa’s intellectual potential.
Ms Jackline Chekwech is an information scientist. [email protected]
