Abstract
In March 2020, institutions of higher education shut down in compliance with the directives of the President of Ghana to curb the spread of COVID-19. In July 2020, when the lockdown restrictions were eased, universities resumed teaching, learning, and research in order to continue the second semester of the 2020/2021 academic year. Universities and their libraries immediately adapted to online teaching and the delivery of services and resources to their patrons even though most of them were largely unprepared for this ‘new normal’ experience.
This paper adopts the qualitative research design which comprised documentary evidence of experiences of ten public and private universities libraries in Ghana with regard to their resources, services, facilities and staff as well as impact on library users during the pandemic. Findings reveal the strict compliance of the COVID -19 protocols and sanitation practices, the increased use of online databases, social media interventions and virtual training among others. The different strategies adopted by university libraries in Ghana are worth sharing and lessons learned provide a unique opportunity for academic librarians to rethink their key roles and core values in supporting the teaching and learning of their institutions during this very challenging time and the future.
References
Bruni, S. (2020). Formazione professionale al tempo del Covid. Bibelot, 26(1), 1–3.
Craft, A. R. (2020). Remote work in library technical services: Connecting historical perspectives to realities of the developing COVID-19 pandemic. Serials Review, 46(3), 227–231. https://doi.org/10.1080/00987913.2020.1806658
Chisita, C. T., & Chizoma, U. S. (2021). Rethinking academic library space amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa: preparing for the future. Information Discovery and Delivery, 49(2), 105–113. https://doi.org/10.1108/IDD-07-2020-0087
Dadhe, P. P, & Dubey, M. N. (2020). Library Services provided during COVID-19 pandemic: Content Analysis of Websites of Premier Technological Institutions of India. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8403&context=libphilprac
Dadhe, P. P., & Dubey, M. N. (2020). Library Services Provided During COVID-19 Pandemic: Content Analysis of Websites of Premier Technological Institutions of India. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/libphilprac/4445/
Dadzie, P. S., & Van Der Walt, T. (2015). Digitising university libraries in Ghana: how technology is facilitating to digital content and service content and services. Mousaion, 33(3), 95–114.
Donkor, A. B., Yeboah, F., & Afrane, D. A. (2021). Rendering library services amid the Corona Virus pandemic: A case of the Balme Library of the University of Ghana. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.uibk.ac.at/ulb/aktuelles-veranstaltungen/2020/iatul-2020_abstracts.pdf
Fernández-Ramos, A. (2019). Online information literacy instruction in Mexican university libraries: The librarians' point of view. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 45(3), 242–251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2019.03.008
Ghana Health Service. (2020). Covid-19: Ghana’s outbreak response management updates. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.ghanahealthservice.org/covid19/archive.php
Gonzales, B. M. (2014). Online tutorials and effective information literacy instruction for distance learners. Journal of Library & Information Services in Distance Learning, 8(1-2),45–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/1533290X.2014.898011.
Ifijeh, G., & Yusuf, F. (2020). Covid-19 pandemic and the future of Nigeria’s university system: The quest for libraries’ relevance. The Journal of Academic Librarianship, 46(6), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2020.102226
Kasa, M. G., & Yusuf, A. (2020). Experience of an Academic Library during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Library Philosophy and Practice, 1. Retrieved February 22, 2021, from https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=8423&context=libphilprac
Ladan, A., Haruna, B., & Madu, U. A. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic and social media news in Nigeria: The role of libraries and library associations in information dissemination. International Journal of Innovation and Research in Educational Sciences, 7(2), 2349–5219
Martzoukou, K. (2020). “Maddie is online”: An educational video cartoon series on digital literacy and resilience for children. Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning, ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print). https://doi.org/10.1108/JRIT-06-2020-0031
Mensah, M., & Onyancha, O. B. (2021). Building and enhancing library services: Patrons’ awareness of, and engagement with social media in academic libraries in Ghana. Journal of Librarianship and Information Science, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1177/09610006211036738
Mugo, K., Odera, N., & Wachira, M. (2020). Surveying the impact of COVID-19 on Africa’s higher education and research sector. The Africa Portal. Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://www.africaportal.org/features/surveying-impact-covid-19-africas-higher-education-and-research-sectors/
National Accreditation Board (2020). Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://nab.gov.gh/index.php/about-us/board
Ranaweera, P. (2008). Importance of information literacy skills for an information literate society. http://eprints.rclis.org/11956
Tammaro, A. M. (2020). COVID 19 and Libraries in Italy. International Information & Library Review, 52(3), 216–220.
University of Ghana (2018). Re-opening of the Balme Library. Retrieved February 21, 2021, from https://www.ug.edu.gh/announcements/re-opening-balme-library
University of Sussex Library Library FAQS. (2020). Retrieved February 26, 2021, from https://www.sussex.ac.uk/library/
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2022 International Journal of Librarianship