The Contribution of Libraries in Pandemic Crises: A Careful Look in COVID‐19 Times

This paper explores the contribution made by libraries in information resource provision during the COVID‐19 pandemic began at the end of 2019. Measures advocated for by public health experts have had a global impact on all activities. They discourage social convergence prompting people to work from home, avoid crowded places, close schools, and other social places, including libraries. General, institutional, and research libraries have been affected by the changes mainly by shutting down physical libraries and they have had to change their operations to ensure continuity of the services that they provide. Libraries have resorted to using technology and communication channels that uphold measures to ensure continuity of services. Libraries have also had to tailor their content and services to address the public need for information about the pandemic and resources to facilitate research. This research collected qualitative data using a content analysis tool. The data was obtained from online library websites of 20 libraries from the United States and analysed to create themes from the content and determine how the libraries are contributing to the COVID-19 response by providing resources for information. The research findings illustrate that libraries have played a vital role in the provision of valid information to the public, researchers, and health officers, continuity of learning, raising public awareness, emphasising the need to follow the public health measures, and overall provision of a platform to keep the public engaged even as they stay at home.

Keywords: Covid-19, libraries, public health measures, pandemic, e-books, virtual, remote, e-learning.