Transformation in the Role of University Libraries Following the Outbreak of the COVID-19 Epidemic

• Published in: علوم و فنون مدیریت اطلاعات Vol. 10; no. 1; pp. 117 - 142
• Main Authors: Azam Najafqolinejad, Sedighe Shakerei
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Persian
• Published: University of Qom 01-03-2024
• Subjects: central libraries; covid-19; digital services; librarians; library portal; non-in-person services; reference services; remote services; university libraries; users
• ISSN: 2476-6658; 2476-6534
• DOI: 10.22091/stim.2022.8352.1814

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the measures, strategies, and tools for providing services at Iran's top university libraries during the Covid-19 outbreak and the evolution of the role of university libraries. Method: The current study is qualitative, and data collection was conducted through semi-structured interviews in the spring of 2021 with the managers of central libraries of thirteen top university libraries under the coverage of the Ministry of Science, Research, and Technology in Iran. The content of the interviews was analyzed and coded using MAXQDA software. To analyze the data collected from the interviews, the method of qualitative content analysis, categorization (organizing and grouping of codes), and coding (specifying main and secondary codes) were employed. Lincoln and Guba criteria were used to validate the findings. Findings: During the coding process, 196 initial codes were identified to describe the actions, tools, services, and activities of the central libraries of top universities. In the category of tools for providing services in the era of Covid-19, the central libraries of top universities mentioned tools such as virtual social networks, answering the telephone, email, strengthening information through websites and library portals, activating virtual reference services, and educational webinars. Online consulting and booking services for librarians in the context of video conferencing software, purchasing and providing some of the necessary infrastructure for organizing electronic resources, changing the approach of face-to-face services, and providing specific procedures and tools for it, strengthening services for remote access to databases, and enhancing interaction and feedback from users were among the new services and activities that were developed during this period. Conclusion: User credibility was further strengthened during the Covid-19 era, marking a turning point in the true concept of service, particularly in terms of enhancing information dissemination for libraries. Education anytime and anywhere replaced face-to-face training courses in libraries. The increasing expectations of users for non-in-person and remote services, along with their institutionalization, led to a reconsideration of scheduling face-to-face visits and the integration of electronic and virtual services as complements to existing physical services. Attention to new spaces during face-to-face visits and the enhancement of librarians' relationships with users are now part of managers' new focus. Improving librarians' skills related to users and enhancing their information literacy are also deemed essential. Libraries are unlikely to revert to the pre-coronavirus era, and to effectively engage users, it is crucial to maintain and strengthen the remote services established during the Covid-19 era. This is because users post-Covid have different expectations and needs compared to those before the pandemic.