LIBRARY SERVICES DELIVERY DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC: A SURVEY OF LIBRARIANS IN UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES IN SOUTH-SOUTH, NIGERIA

Abstract

The main purpose of this study is to investigate academic library service delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic, identify library online facilities used during the outbreak, types of library services rendered, and the challenges of online library service delivery during the crisis in Nigeria. The study adopted a descriptive research design. The population of the study consists of 110 academic librarians in six state universities in South-South Nigeria. Questionnaire is used to collect data for this study. The frequency count was used to analyze the data. The study revealed that WhatsApp, Facebook and Email were mostly used to deliver skeletal online library services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Reference, information services, current awareness services (CAS), selective dissemination of information (SDI) were services rendered. Inadequate ICT infrastructure and unskilled manpower, poor budgetary allocations were inhibitors identified. The study recommended that libraries should engage more social media outlets in their operations, librarians should acquire emerging technological skills and parent organizations should remedy the challenges identified to enable academic libraries function optimally during situations like the COVID-19 pandemic.