“We Are All Distance Learners Now”: How Distance Learning Informed a Library Team’s Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

This article explores the response of the Science and Engineering Library team at Manchester Metropolitan University to the Covid-19 pandemic. It examines how the team's experience supporting distance-learning programmes acted as both a dress rehearsal and a road map for Library provision during the pandemic. In particular, the changing role of staff members whilst operating in the Covid-19 setting is carefully reflected upon. The article is structured into three sections, discussing support for distance-learning programmes, distance learning and Covid-19, and the changes Covid-19 prompted within the team's operation. 19 pandemic and will cover three major themes: support for distance-learning programmes before Covid-19; the pivot to distance learning from March 2020 onwards; and reflections on the Covid-19 distance-learning experience and how it altered the roles within the team. Throughout, we will draw the distinction between students enrolled on distance-learning programmes and those enrolled in traditional face-to-face classes. The

Affective dimensions of academic librarians’ experiences during the Covid-19 pandemic: experiences and lessons learned for information literacy

“…, 2022; Mannion, 2021; Proctor et al. , 2021; Siddall, 2022; Wheeler and Kyprianou-Chavda, 2021). These publications emphasize the innovations in eLearning that happened in academic libraries during the Covid-19 pandemic and how further investment in eLearning infrastructure and professional development to enhance librarian expertise in this domain is critical for the future.…”

“…Many articles focusing on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on IL instruction in academic libraries take the form of survey research (Ibacache et al, 2021;Shin et al, 2022) and case studies (Dempsey and Heil, 2021;Dong, 2021;Ezell, 2021;Howes et al, 2021;Joe, 2020;Leibiger and Aldrich, 2022;Lierman et al, 2022;Mannion, 2021;Proctor et al, 2021;Siddall, 2022;Wheeler and Kyprianou-Chavda, 2021). These publications emphasize the innovations in eLearning that happened in academic libraries during the Covid-19 pandemic and how further investment in eLearning infrastructure and professional development to enhance librarian expertise in this domain is critical for the future.…”

Assessing Demographics and Needs of Online Students before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons from Academic Libraries

“…Surveys are also another technique for assessing the needs of online students, and can provide similar findings to interviewing this population in terms of the importance of patrons being able to easily and efficiently access library services and resources (Harlow & Hill, 2020;Ismail, 2016;Kvenild & Bowles-Terry, 2011;Maddox & Stanfield, 2019;Skarl & Bosque, 2019;Sterling et al, 2017). Overall, the literature shows the need to continue assessing the research demands of virtual students, particularly to see if the COVID-19 global pandemic has influenced or changed how they interact and view the library and to build off the emerging research (Cole & Raish, 2020;Dempsey & Heil, 2021;Ezell, 2021;Nowicki, 2020;Oladipo & Okiki, 2020;Peuler & Coltrain, 2020;Wheeler & Kyprianou-Chavda, 2021;Ziegenfuss, 2020).…”

Academic library services extension during the COVID-19 pandemic: considerations in higher education institutions in the Gauteng Province, South Africa

“…The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic forced academic libraries to shift their focus from traditional methods of providing information resources to offering information resources only in an online environment (Durodolu et al, 2021a). Even though Wheeler and Kyprianou-Chavda (2021) alluded that the provision of online information resources is not new in academic libraries, the extensive offering of only online information resources to library users is because of the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Academic libraries are not in a position to supply information resources such as books, journals, patents, newspapers, photographs, pictures, motion pictures and music that are not available in the digital format.…”