Pattern and Magnitude of Utilization of Information Resource Facilities and Services at Health Sciences Library in the Midst of COVID – 19 Pandemic

Background: Medical librarians support curriculum and research by delivering appropriate and high-quality information and facilities to students and faculty members. COVID-19 pandemic disrupted physical teaching and learning worldwide endorsing virtual education which was supported by digital inform...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Library philosophy and practice 2022-07, p.1-11
Main Authors: Aamir, Saima, Mahmood, Nosheen, Anjum, Zahida, Hewaishel, Noura Bin, Haq, Ikram Ul
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Coronaviruses
COVID-19
Digital libraries
Information sources
Internet resources
Library and information science
Medical libraries
Pandemics
User services
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Summary:Background: Medical librarians support curriculum and research by delivering appropriate and high-quality information and facilities to students and faculty members. COVID-19 pandemic disrupted physical teaching and learning worldwide endorsing virtual education which was supported by digital information resources. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the extent of utilization of physical and digital learning resources along with customer satisfaction in a health science library before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: An online self-administered questionnaire was administered using Microsoft Forms to students and faculty members. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 24. Qualitative variables were analyzed using mean and standard deviation. A Chi-square test was carried out to compare customers' satisfaction with the utilization of information resources before and during the pandemic. A p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. Results: A total of 230 participants were included in the study. The library was visited by 18.7% and 26.1% of customers daily, and weekly respectively before the COVID-19 pandemic. However, none of them used the library daily during a pandemic, while digital library usage increased during this time. A significant reduction in the level of customers' satisfaction was observed with the physical library services in coronavirus outbreaks compared to satisfaction before the pandemic, p=0.028. Participants were satisfied with the utilization of digital library services during the pandemic compared to the prepandemic period, p= 0.024. Conclusion: The use of digital libraries surged during the pandemic resulting in a rapid adaptation of electronic books and journals. Librarians' have played a vital role in the current catastrophe by improving awareness of stakeholders regarding e-resources.
ISSN:1522-0222