Abstract:
This study focuses on information retrieval skill as an indispensable asset for in the digital Age. The paper states the concept of information retrieval, information retrieval tools, methods, theory and ontology. Information retrieval skill is the ability to retrieve relevant information from collection of unstructured information that meets the user’s needs. It equipped information seekers with the capability to communicate with an information system in order to find information in text, graphic images, sound recordings and video that meets their specific needs. The tools that work with the information retrieval system include library public cabinet, Online Public Access Catalogue, web-scale among others. Information retrieval method and theory are being constantly modified and redefined as a result of changes in the information formats. The study concludes that traditional information retrieval method based on the keywords search does not satisfy users with regard to recall and precision, but web-scale and ontologies have been devised to increase the accuracy of the search results However, librarians and indeed library users must be information retrieval literate in order to efficiently perform the services of information retrieval and to be able to manipulate the emerging retrieval tools in the digital Age The following recommendations among others were made to improve information retrieval skill of librarians and users.. Librarians are to direct their research efforts at the emerging sophisticated information retrieval tools. Training and retraining have become indispensable in the light of frequent changes in the information retrieval system, methods, tools and theories in order to provide and sustain efficient library service delivery to meet the diverse needs of users in the digital Age.
