Impact of COVID-19 on the Use of Academic Library Resources

Connell, Ruth Sara; Wallis, Lisa; Comeaux, David

doi:10.6017/ital.v40i2.12629

Cited by 40 publications

(47 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…In addition, the use of the LibGuides Database A to Z list, increased in use in 2020/21 compared to the two previous years. This finding is in contrast to the previous study indicating that both NEIU and Valparaiso reported a decrease in views (Connell et al, 2021). COVID-19 also influenced users' interactions with librarians.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…However, some institutions would Impact of COVID-19 on academic library not have been filling during some periods of the pandemic. LSU noted a 35% increase in requesting articles from other libraries while Valparaiso observed a 14% decrease (Connell et al, 2021). It is possible that student use of the service decreased while faculty remained largely unchanged.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Impact of COVID-19 on the use of the academic library

Groote¹,

Scoulas²

2021

RSR

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PurposeThis study examines differences in library use patterns (in-person visits, online use, reference transactions, library resource and services use) pre-COVID-19 and during the COVID-19 pandemic through multiple data sets.Design/methodology/approachUsing library statistics collected during 2017/2018 and 2020/2021 and student responses to a biennial library use survey distributed in 2018 and 2021, the potential impact of the pandemic on users' behaviors was explored.FindingsLibrary use statistics and the biennial survey responses demonstrate that users' overall library use was impacted by COVID-19. Both the library's gate count and students' frequency of library visits showed a dramatic decrease. The use of virtual support to patrons increased during COVID-19 as reflected by the increase in email and chat reference interactions and virtual consultations.Practical implicationsAs students return to the physical classroom, observing library use via various data will help inform how well use of the library rebounded or if there are changes in users' behavior that suggest the need for the promotion of library services or an expansion in alternative services to support users.Originality/valueThis article highlights the importance of continuously obtaining various data sets to observe trends and changes. By observing multiple data points, some changes are aligned across data, whereas other changes or patterns are different. While impact on physical library use may be obvious, library use before and during the pandemic will help guide and inform how academic libraries should be prepared for hybrid environments post-pandemic.

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Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of COVID-19 on the use of the academic library

Groote¹,

Scoulas²

2021

RSR

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“…Academic libraries provide key services in supporting teaching, learning and research within and outside the aegis of the academic institution. Connell, Wallis, and Comeaux (2021) argue that historically libraries have proved their capacity to comprehend and apprehend the need for preparedness in the event of an outbreak of disasters. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic caught many institutions unaware and without a clue as to how they should respond.…”

Section: Problem Statementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Remaking academic library services in Zimbabwe in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic

Chisita¹,

Chiparausha²,

Tsabetse³

et al. 2022

The Journal of Academic Librarianship

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“…Several studies have investigated students' use of library resources during the COVID-19 pandemic (Shi et al. , 2021; Connell et al. , 2021; De Groote and Scoulas, 2021; Dadhe and Balkundi, 2021).…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Connell et al. (2021) also attempted to provide insight into students' library use during the COVID-19 pandemic.…”

Section: Literature Reviewmentioning

confidence: 99%

Information-seeking behaviour of students at a Caribbean University during the COVID-19 pandemic

Nelson

Tugwell

2022

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PurposeThis study investigated how students of the Faculties of Humanities and Education and Social Sciences at a Caribbean University sought information during the COVID-19 pandemic, identified challenges they experienced in seeking information for academic tasks and how satisfied they were with the Library's provision of electronic resources and services during this period.Design/methodology/approachA quantitative survey design was adopted for this study. Data were collected using an online questionnaire. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse the data.FindingsThis study revealed that undergraduates relied upon lecture notes to complete assignments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Undergraduate students have developed a definite information-seeking pattern, which did not change during the pandemic. They tend to use information channels that require the least effort. Postgraduate students used a variety of Library information channels but primarily used electronic journals. On the whole, students experienced challenges while seeking information via the channels provided by the Library. Students were neither satisfied nor dissatisfied with the Library's provision of electronic resources and services.Research limitations/implicationsThe study used non-probability sampling and only included students from two faculties at one university. As a result, the findings may not be generalized to the entire student population or all Caribbean universities.Practical implicationsThe results of this study can be used to identify the difficulties students are having in accessing information from the Library and gauge service delivery.Originality/valueThis paper contributes to the scholarship from the Caribbean written to show whether students' information-seeking behaviour changed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Impact of COVID-19 on the Use of Academic Library Resources

Cited by 40 publications

References 5 publications

Impact of COVID-19 on the use of the academic library

Impact of COVID-19 on the use of the academic library

Remaking academic library services in Zimbabwe in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic

Information-seeking behaviour of students at a Caribbean University during the COVID-19 pandemic

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