EFFECTS OF COVID 19 PANDEMIC ON ACADEMIC LIBRARY SERVICES IN NIGERIA.

Abstract

This paper highlighted the effects of corona virus on activities of academic libraries in Nigeria in general perspectives. The impacts of this novel virus on development of librarianship were simply pinpointed in the study. The expected roles of academic libraries during epidemics, global crisis and other forms of humanitarian crisis were discussed in this paper. The study also made references to certain studies by other authors on how libraries are expected to respond to emergency situations in a bid still keep their mandate of providing updated information and knowledge to users. Certain factors affecting provision of needed information to users by academic libraries were extensively discussed. The study concluded that the novel corona virus (Covid 19) which has shutdown almost all aspect of human endeavor during its’ outbreak is still in existence and that libraries must sit up to their responsibilities in order to ensure quick responses emergency situations that hinder human interactions as well as halting the operations of libraries. The study thus recommended that academic libraries must deploy all possible means reaching to its’ users using the most relevant technologies and social media outlets to meet the needs of its users.