IFLA Journal

Parliamentary libraries play a crucial role in providing information support to decision-makers around the world. These institutions have faced an unprecedented situation with the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have had to modify their practices considerably to keep serving their users. This article explores how the National Assembly of Quebec Library has responded to this issue and redefined its services during the pandemic. The author presents the challenges and opportunities met while adapting virtual services, redefining document handling and improving team communication, and foresees future obstacles for the institution. This case study shares best practices and the lessons learned in the hope of informing and advising similar institutions facing challenges during this pandemic.

Remembering the coronavirus pandemic represents an obligation to the present and the future. Illuminating the intersections between remembrance, documentary heritage, memory institutions and COVID-19, this article argues that libraries, archives and museums have a unique and urgent duty to document the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolds to help ensure that its associated recorded heritage is collected, preserved and archived for the present and future purposes of consultation, reference and remembrance. Explicit ‘duty to document the coronavirus pandemic’ policy provisions should be adopted by libraries, archives and museums to, first, strengthen their current COVID-19 documentary initiatives and, second, support other possible documentary initiatives related to this or future global health crises. By documenting COVID-19, it can be collectively remembered and future possible health crises can be better anticipated.

Due to the transition to a remote/virtual working environment, the process of onboarding new hires has to make a shift to the remote/virtual as well. In this article, a review of past and present practices at a mid-sized academic library is conducted, as well as an autoethnographic reflection of a new hire’s experience with onboarding. Best practices and suggestions are presented to help inform other libraries that are also going through a remote/virtual onboarding experience.

In March 2020, Michigan’s school library media specialists, along with the entire educational community, found themselves facing unprecedented challenges brought by the disruption of the COVID-19 pandemic. As learning shifted online, the roles of school library media specialists shifted as well. Three southeast Michigan school library media specialists were interviewed to obtain their perspectives regarding the adaptation to distance learning, as well as how they predicted educational practices will evolve going forward. The educational practices of learning commons, guided inquiry, co-teaching, and information literacy were found to be particularly valuable during the shift to distance learning. The increased dependence on these practices during the pandemic will likely result in increased implementation of these practices when face-to-face learning resumes.

The National Library of Scotland’s Digital Scholarship Service has been releasing collections as data on its data-delivery platform, the Data Foundry, since September 2019. Following the COVID-19 lockdown, this service experienced significantly higher traffic, as library users increasingly made use of online resources. To ensure that as many users as possible were able to explore the datasets on the Data Foundry, the Library invested in a Digital Research Intern post, with a remit to provide introductory analysis of the Data Foundry collections using Jupyter Notebooks. This article provides a case study of this project, explaining the Library’s work to date around its new Digital Scholarship Service and releasing datasets on the Data Foundry; the reasoning behind the decision to begin to provide Jupyter Notebooks; the Notebooks themselves and what types of analysis they contain, as well as the challenges faced in creating them; and the publication and impact of the Notebooks.

LibGuides have been used by librarians at Cape Peninsula University of Technology since 2012 as a means of providing subject-based information to students, with quick links to selected resources and information supplementing information literacy training. Lecturers use the resources for preparing lectures and identifying learning materials, while researchers and postgraduate students use research support guides when writing their papers. As the worldwide pandemic caused a major lockdown, academic institutions in South Africa were closed and students sent home. However, students still needed to complete their studies, and librarians at Cape Peninsula University of Technology had to continue providing support to these students. One of the online services available was LibGuides. This article provides insight into the historical developments of LibGuides at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, the use of LibGuides during lockdown, and the experiences of a selected group of students and librarians.

In July 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Monash University Library in Melbourne, Australia, and the Penn State University Libraries in Pennsylvania, USA, leveraged their previously established international sister-library partnership to host a virtual engagement event focused on promoting the partnership and selected special collections at both institutions. The Monash–Penn State Great Rare Books Bake Off, a friendly competition collaboratively developed by the two academic libraries, engaged both institutions’ communities with their collections and resources by inviting participants to bake featured recipes from their collections and post evidence of their experiences on social media platforms. In addition to promoting awareness of the institutions’ international partnership and their respective collections, a primary goal of the collaborative project was to offer their local communities an enjoyable and creative outlet during a difficult time. This illustrative case study describes how the two institutions planned, executed, and assessed the project.

Despite the uncertain challenges facing libraries of all types during the COVID-19 pandemic, new best practices and innovative ways of approaching services have emerged. Including the groundbreaking Taylor Family Digital Library in 2011, the University of Calgary Libraries and Cultural Resources has been contributing towards the ongoing development of the digital academic library. The COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated a rapid leveraging of digital skills, platforms, expertise, and models of service delivery to continue providing exceptional and transformative experiences for the University of Calgary community. The initiatives discussed in this article include online work teams, virtual 360-degree tours, the online library chat service, digital collections agreements, and remote services for archives and special collections.

When the world began to take notice of the growing risks of COVID-19 in early spring 2020, the University of South Florida Libraries–Tampa Special Collections shifted to virtual instruction sessions to provide students with access to rare books and primary-source archival materials. To respond to the need for a quick shift to online instruction, the department formulated a plan to support students with an open-access digital learning experience using ArcGIS StoryMaps. Building on critical digital pedagogy and feminist digital humanities, the sessions provided online teaching resources for faculty who could not schedule students for physical visits. Over the first year of remote work, the department created sessions for 15 course sections. Looking to the future, Special Collections will continue providing the option of virtual sessions as part of its instruction. The digital nature of the courses lends to a recursive pedagogy, allowing for continued adaptation that is complimentary to academic cycles.

This article presents a brief overview of the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in the context of Brazilian university libraries, as well as the efforts made by those institutions. It aims to report the experiences of the University Library Working Group at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, located in southern Brazil, in COVID-19 prevention. It describes the guidelines that the Working Group established and the perspectives for returning to face-to-face work. It considers the relevance of the role of libraries in accessing and disseminating science information. It highlights the opportunities for change and advances in study, research and services aimed at libraries in general. The article concludes that the University Library at the Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, through the Working Group fulfilling its role of supporting teaching, made it possible to articulate an information exchange network about COVID-19 with public servants, where the Working Group has carried out research and guided the management of the University Library in conducting the provision of face-to-face and remote services securely, both for users and the BU/UFSC staff (or employees).

In Nigeria, the first case of coronavirus (COVID-19) was reported on 27 February 2020 and as at date, there are about 13,000 confirmed cases across Nigeria. The spread of COVID-19 forced the lockdown of libraries. This study investigated the dissemination of information in meeting the information needs of library patrons during the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown of university libraries in Nigeria. Using a descriptive survey design, a sample population of 178 librarians from federal, state and private universities in Nigeria was questioned. The findings show that libraries disseminated information on personal hygiene to their patrons (hand-washing, cleanliness and the use of hand sanitizers) and sensitized the general public to COVID-19 by using posters and flyers. The findings also reveal that libraries disseminated information and links to e-resources to support patrons’ ongoing research. Moreover, It was revealed in the findings that lack of coordination, strike action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and none subscription for data for librarians to work from home were challenges.

The COVID-19 crisis has had a significant impact on public libraries around the world. In Australia, almost all public libraries experienced some period of building closure, requiring libraries to adapt their services and delivery models. This article reports findings from a large-scale survey of public library managers in Australia, which was conducted in August 2020. In particular, it presents the results of a thematic analysis of the participants’ free-text responses to open questions asked as part of the survey. This analysis reveals important insights relating to responses to library closures, staffing issues, new and expanded services and programmes, relationships with parent bodies, and the role of public libraries during the crisis and beyond. While public libraries are perceived by managers to have been agile and adaptable, and to have utilised technology effectively, the findings clearly demonstrate the value to users of library buildings, with important consequences for understanding the role of public libraries.

This article uses survey data to describe, discuss, and examine the ways in which small and rural public libraries adjusted their programming during the COVID-19 pandemic. The restrictions associated with the pandemic forced libraries to close their doors and reimagine how they would deliver programming to their community.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries in China closed their doors in early 2020 and moved all their services online. This change has brought unprecedented challenges for the development of library services, while it has also brought opportunities and motivation for the future transformation of libraries. This article uses official WeChat accounts of the National Library of China and more than 30 provincial public libraries as the main information sources to summarize and classify the services provided during the period of closure. It also collates and analyses news items released by these libraries to guide the improvement of the online services of public libraries in the pandemic environment. Finally, it puts forward the author’s reflections and suggestions on the key development directions of libraries in the post-pandemic era in six areas: reading promotion, smart libraries, new media operation, information literacy cultivation, open access and collaborative development.

The whole world is experiencing a new reality – the global outbreak of COVID-19, which has forced every institution into lockdown. This study aims to explore the responses of the government public libraries of Bangladesh. An online questionnaire was used to gather primary data from all of the 71 public libraries, which was followed by semi-structured interviews with eight librarians. The analysis suggests that more than 50% of the libraries had a low level of preparedness to face any crisis, and none of the libraries were fully prepared to manage this pandemic. All of the libraries were open for administrative functions without physical access to users. The study found that 52% of the libraries created public awareness through social media, while 46% supported local government organizations and 40% provided counselling services. Considering the existing challenges, the study recommends some measures for the public libraries of Bangladesh to cope with this situation.

This study analysed 9657 pieces of misinformation that originated in 138 countries and were fact-checked by 94 organizations to understand the prevalence and sources of misinformation in different countries. The results show that India (15.94%), the USA (9.74%), Brazil (8.57%) and Spain (8.03%) are the four most misinformation-affected countries. Based on the results, it is presumed that the prevalence of COVID-19 misinformation can have a positive association with the COVID-19 situation. Social media (84.94%) produces the largest amount of misinformation, and the Internet (90.5%) as a whole is responsible for most of the COVID-19 misinformation. Moreover, Facebook alone produces 66.87% of the misinformation among all social media platforms. Of all the countries, India (18.07%) produced the largest amount of social media misinformation, perhaps thanks to the country’s higher Internet penetration rate, increasing social media consumption and users’ lack of Internet literacy.

The 2020 COVID-19 pandemic introduced significant information challenges for older adults worldwide. Given the widespread disparities in information infrastructure and access between developing and developed countries, the challenges presented during this period may be even more grave in the developing world. This interview study examines how older adults (age 65+) in two countries—the USA and India—experienced information needs, sources, and barriers. The results indicate distinct experiences among the two populations, with individuals in the USA expressing more diverse needs, while Indian respondents focused on the impact of COVID-19. The American respondents also indicated much greater use of Internet resources compared to the Indian respondents, who used television and print resources more frequently. Far more Indian respondents reported significant challenges finding information to satisfy their information needs. The findings of this study have important ramifications for the design of intervention, education, and support for the information-related needs of older adults worldwide.

Like many countries, Nigeria’s library services were affected by COVID-19. This study (conducted in 2020) examined the priorities and barriers for information seeking and use by library and information science professionals in Nigeria, including what type of information was sought, the sources used and how these were evaluated. An online survey, with questions informed by a literature survey, was sent to library and information science professionals in Nigeria with WhatsApp accounts (individual and library and information science group accounts). The responses were automatically collected and saved into Google Sheets for further analysis using descriptive statistics. There were 167 responses (61% response rate). The main information needs were causes of the virus, COVID-19 symptoms, providing library services during physical library closure, the timing of reopening, and staff and user safety measures required for library reopening. The respondents were also concerned about COVID-19 test procedures and transmission mechanisms, treatment (including herbal medicines), vaccines, government policy and restrictions on movement. The main information sources used were the Internet (including government and World Health Organization websites), social media, television and radio. The authority, reliability, currency and relevance of the information were considered when evaluating COVID-19 information consulted, and were using the information primarily to ‘keep safe’ in accordance with government regulations, to provide library services on time and to plan for safe reopening. The barriers to information seeking and use were technical (poor telecommunications), financial (lack of funds to purchase resources) and physical (library closures). One barrier was the volume of information (both reliable and unreliable). Verification was viewed as important but seemingly difficult to do. The respondents were concerned about the safe and effective operation of library services. Library and information science professionals in Nigeria may need advice from health professionals on the most reliable sources of information on COVID-19 and how to use them for themselves and their users.