With most colleges and universities moving coursework online for the remainder of this semester due to the coronavirus pandemic, campus libraries are adapting to an increased demand for online services and support. Virtual reference, electronic access to textbooks, assistance for faculty, streaming content — as we make our way in this new reality of social distancing, these online resources feel more vital than ever.
As your library moves many of its services online in response to the coronavirus pandemic, you may be wondering about the legality of posting recorded story times to your Facebook or YouTube page. The answer lies in “fair use.”
Have you heard that essential oils or colloidal silver can cure COVID-19? Or that the virus was developed as a bioweapon in a lab? Have you received any messages that “a friend of a friend” has insider information that the nation is going into lockdown?
Pandemic-induced closures of public libraries nationwide are an inconvenience to many, but one group is perhaps affected more than others: people experiencing homelessness.
As U.S. libraries react to the coronavirus pandemic this week — and prepare for an increasing number of cases, as experts predict — many library workers are faced with a difficult question: when should they cancel in-person programs at the library?
Because the severity of the outbreak varies widely from region to region, there is no easy answer, says the American Library Association.
As U.S. libraries prepare for the novel coronavirus pandemic that is sweeping the globe, our fellow librarians in Italy are in the thick of the outbreak. Shops, bars, and yes, libraries are closed to the public as Italians follow orders to stay at home and practice social distancing to minimize the virus's spread.
But not all librarians have stopped working just because the libraries are empty. Many are finding creative ways to serve their communities from afar. Here, we speak to two librarians about what the lockdown means for them.
