Attendance of university libraries by Congolese LMD system students in the era of hyper-connectivity and artificial intelligence: mutations, challenges, and perspectives

Abstract

This article analyzes the transformation of the visitation and usage practices of university libraries (UL) by Congolese students within the License-Master-Doctorate (LMD) system, who are confronted with the triple dynamics of a demanding pedagogical reform, the promises of hyper-connectivity, and the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) in the academic landscape. Based on a field survey conducted with 300 students from three universities in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the study reveals a fundamental paradox. While students show a strong awareness of the opportunities offered by digital resources and generative AI tools, with nearly half already declaring their use for their studies, their daily reality remains marked by a profound digital divide that limits access to these technologies. In this context, physical visits to ULs remain sustained, but their motivations have shifted: they are now driven more by the search for reliable basic infrastructure than by exclusive access to printed collections, thereby transforming the UL into an essential palliative for environmental shortcomings. The analysis highlights critical issues, notably the mismatch between the autonomy requirements of the LMD system and an often-inadequate documentary ecosystem, as well as the ethical and epistemological risks of an uncritical appropriation of AI. In conclusion, the article advocates for a pragmatic and contextualized approach, where priority must be given to strengthening students' information literacy, consolidating basic digital infrastructure, and transforming ULs into hybrid mediation centers a prerequisite for the promises of digital technology and AI to serve an inclusive and critical modernization of Congolese higher education.