Interrogating the Role of Libraries in the Fight against COVID-19 Pandemic: The Nigerian Perspective

1. Introduction

According to the World Health Organization (2020), coronaviruses are a large family of viruses that may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, for example, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus is the novel coronavirus, otherwise called COVID-19. This new virus and disease were unknown before its outbreak in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and is different from other coronaviruses that usually circulate among humans and cause mild illness such as the common cold (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020).

The complete clinical picture of COVID-19 is not known. The reported illnesses range from mild (no reported symptoms) to severe illnesses and sometimes, including death. A report from China shows that 16% of cases have developed severe illness (Guan et al., 2020). Older adults and all age groups with serious underlying health problems, such as heart disease, lung disease, and diabetes, appear to be at higher risk for severe conditions. The first case of affected COVID-19 was reported in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019 (Huang et al., 2020). Since then, the virus has invented over twenty million people from over 110 countries and territories/areas with over 800,000 (World Health Organization, 2020). As of September 6th, 2020, there are 55,005 confirmed cases, 43,013 discharged cases, and 1,057 deaths in Nigeria (National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), 2020).

To curtail the spread of the virus, libraries as service-based organizations can contribute to the fight against COVID-19 in Nigeria. Despite the near total lockdown of the entire country, libraries could render services remotely during the pandemic and some of the services could include expand remote services such as virtual reference and promoting e-books, databases, and e-resources; promote how to access your library's e-resources 24/7; provide references services via email, phone, and chat; use social graphics for online library services; keep the library WIFI on during closure; create a Basic Needs Information local resource guide for your community; encourage patrons to exercise; prepare to serve as recovery centers for community members, help individual with employment search and skills development, and to connect constituents with government aid and services; provide information for patrons about COVID-19, financial assistance, and mental health; consider waiving fines so patrons can access e-resources regardless of account status; provide library card sign-ups for access to remote resources; expand your Reader's Advisory services online; share your favorite books, music, movies with patrons on social media; publish a blog with book reviews and recommendati ons; have staff develop reading, viewing, and listening lists; offer an online storytime or digital book club.

Libraries, like many service-based organizations and social institutions, are switching to online mode for services delivery due to the closure of libraries. Libraries have a proud history of stepping in to fill the gaps in the social safety net, and the impulse to do so in this instance is strong. Many library workers, from directors to frontline staff, are rightly questioning whether it is reasonable to endanger the lives of staff to do so. But the tough calculus of staff needs versus patron needs doesn’t apply this time, because, as Brooklyn librarian Katya Schapiro said, “The same populations that are hurt by us closing are at greatest risk from us remaining open” (Schwartz, 2020).

In essence, just because the library is closed does not mean libraries should stop working. Rather, libraries could institute automatic renewals, extending loan periods, and waiving fines for materials that are already out. Libraries could as well educate the public through their websites and emails on methods of coronavirus transmission and why social distancing matters even for the healthy and those at a lower risk. They could as well provide information on loans, grants, and other help that many localities are starting to provide for impacted small businesses and workers. Many libraries are also promoting electronic services (including chat reference) that can be accessed offline; a number of vendors are offering free or increased access to meet demand. Some libraries are already offering distance programs such as bedtime stories by telephone or streaming story time; this is an opportunity to experiment with or expand such offerings, though they need to be mindful of copyright concerns (Schwartz, 2020). The purpose of this article is to produce timely information about the COVID-19 virus in plain-language and examine how libraries in Nigeria have responded to the pandemic in real-time through the provision of their services. The findings from this study will serve as potential best practices for Nigerian libraries in keeping the public informed about the evolution and spread of the virus.

2. Literature Review

3. Methodology

The survey type of descriptive research design was employed in carrying out this study. This type of research design allowed the researchers to elicit data from librarians to ascertain the role and contributions of Nigerian libraries in curtailing the spread of COVID-19 Pandemic. The population of the study comprised 139 librarians, randomly selected from different libraries across the thirty-six states and the Federal Capital Territory, (Abuja) in Nigeria. The entire 139 librarians were adopted as the sample size for the study using the total enumeration sampling technique. The entire population was used as the sample size because the population is of a manageable size. The instrument used for gathering data was a self-developed questionnaire which was then converted to an online survey questionnaire by the researchers using SurveyMonkey (Link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PM89RHB). The questionnaire was then administered to the respondents online via the Nigerian Library Association (NLA) WhatsApp group and the NLA Google group forum due to the total lockdown in the country during the COVID-19 crisis. The questionnaire was divided into sections. While Section A focused on the respondents’ demographi cs, section B focused on the services delivered by Nigerian libraries amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Sections C and D examined the frequency of the services delivered to library patrons and the activities organized by libraries to curtail the spread of the Pandemic in the country. Sections E and F addressed the measures put in place by Nigerian libraries to curtail the spread of COVID-19 and the level of Nigerian libraries’ preparedness for the global pandemic. Finally, section G focused on the challenges faced by Nigerian libraries in service delivery amidst the COVID-19 crises. Each of the specific research objectives raised formed sections B, C, D, E, F, and G. Each section had multiple items for respondents to select from. Items in sections B, D and E were measured using a four-point scale of Strongly Agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D), and Strongly Disagree (SD). The respondents were also given space to add comments/items based on their unique library experience. The link to the survey was opened for a period of two weeks and reminder notices were sent at intervals within the period to ensure a high response rate. Data collected were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

4. Findings and Discussion

The demographic data and the study findings are discussed in the section.

Fig. 1 revealed the different types of libraries that participated in the study. The chart revealed that five types of libraries namely; National Library, Academic Library, Public Library, Special Library, and School Library participated in the study. However, 88% of the total respondents for this study were from Academic Libraries, 7% from Public Libraries, 3% from National Libraries, and 1% each from Special and School Libraries. This further implies that the majority of the respondents for these studies were Librarians working in Libraries in higher institutions of learning in Nigeria.

Fig. 1.

Type of Library of Respondents

Fig. 2 presented the sex distribution of the respondents. The figure revealed that 54% of the total respondents are Male while 46% are female. This implies that more male librarians participated in the study than their female counterparts.

Fig. 2.

Sex of Respondents

Fig. 3 shows the respondents’ years of working experience as librarians. From the chart, it was gathered that about 15% of the respondents have worked for 5 years or less, 24% have between 6 to 10 years of working experience while 19% have worked up to 15 years but not less than 11 years. Also, 10% have between 16 to 20 years of working experience while 31% have 20 years of working experience and above. The implication of this is that the respondents for this study have a good number of years of working experience, as majority of the respondents have worked for more than 5 years in the profession.

Fig. 3.

Respondents’ Years of Working Experience

Table 1 revealed the library services delivered by Nigerian libraries amidst the COVID-19 crisis. The table revealed that 109 (78.4%) of the respondents agreed that Nigerian libraries provide awareness/s ensitization on how to curtail the spread of COVID-19, 106 (76.2%) agreed that libraries provide access to trustworthy COVID-19 information via different media. The respondents also agreed that libraries provide digital contents to patrons 105 (75.7%), connect patrons/citizens to accurate and reliable data on COVID-19 cases around the world 104 (74.85%), organize online streaming programs 93 (66.95%), and creating open-access databases for use by both COVID-19 researchers and the entire populace 96 (69.0%). Other services delivered by libraries in Nigeria midst the COVID-19 crisis include organizing online reading sessions 96 (69.0%) and loaning of E-books 88 (63.3%). This implies that the services delivered by Nigerian libraries amidst the COVID-19 crisis include the provision of awareness/sensitization on how to curtail the spread of COVID-19, provision of access to trustworthy COVID-19 information via different media, provision of digital contents to patrons, connecting patrons/citizens to accurate and reliable data on COVID-19 cases around the world, organizing online streaming programs, curating relevant open-access databases for use by both COVID-19 researchers and the entire populace, provision of social resources for the disadvantaged, organizing online reading session as well as loaning of E-books. This finding is in tandem with Featherstone, Lyon, and Ruffin (2008) that libraries render a range of services which include collection management and information dissemination during the period of crisis. Furthermore, the study findings corroborate the assertion of Malizia et al. (2012) that libraries serve important collaborative roles with community emergency responders in a bid to help put an end to a health disaster.

Table 1.

Library Services Delivered Amidst the COVID-19 Crisis

Table 2 revealed the frequency of library services delivery in the COVID-19 pandemic period. It is observed that 65 (46.7%) of the respondents indicated that awareness/sensitization creation on how to stop the spread of COVID-19 is delivered daily; however, 37 (26.6%) respondents noted that the service is delivered per hour. Other library services delivered daily as indicated by the respondents include connecting patrons/citizens to accurate and reliable data on COVID-19 cases around the world 64 (46.0%), providing access to trustworthy COVID-19 information via different media, providing library patrons access to digital contents 62 (44.6%), providing online reading session 60 (43.1%), curating open-access databases for use by both COVID-19 researchers and the entire populace 60 (43.1%) amongst other services. It is however worthy to note that 30 (21.6%) respondents indicated that they have never loaned out E-book. The table also revealed a grand mean score of 2.72 as against the criterion mean of 2.50. This implies that the services are frequently delivered on a daily basis in the pandemic period. This finding contradicts Zach’s (2011) study that many libraries fail to provide useful information from reliable sources like the CDC in a massive health crisis. The contradiction could be attributed to the time difference in which both studies were conducted.

Table 2.

Frequency of Services Delivery in the COVID-19 pandemic period

The data in Table 3 revealed the level of Nigerian libraries’ preparedness for the global pandemic. From the data analyzed, it was revealed that 74 (53.2%) respondents agreed that Nigerian libraries have multiple channels of communication with library patrons in case of emergency, 57 (41.0%) agreed that the library has emergency response unit in times of pandemic and policies that address global pandemic respectively, while only 47 (33.8%) respondents agreed that there are budgetary allocations for emergency library programs. Nevertheless, 93 (69.1%) and 92 (66.2%) respondents disagreed that there are periodic training for staff on disaster preparedness/management and that there are budgetary allocations for emergency library programs respectively, while 82 (59.0%) respondents also disagree that the library has emergency response unit and policies in the library that addresses a global pandemic situations respectively. Furthermore, from the table, it was observed that the data analyzed produced a grand mean score of 2.38 which is less than the criterion mean score of 2.50, thus, implying that the level of Nigerian libraries’ preparedness for global pandemic is low. This finding disagrees with Reynolds and Tamanaha (2010) that libraries actively participate during the pandemic as they periodically hold emergency preparedness meetings as well as having an existing email list for specific groups in case of emergency. In the same vein, Zach (2011) noted that libraries are proactive in providing health-related information to users.

Table 3.

Level of Nigerian Libraries' preparedness for Global Pandemic

Table 4 highlighted the activities organized by Nigerian Libraries to curtail the spread of COVID-19. From the table, 87 (62.6%) respondents agreed that libraries maintain a careful watch of PubMed, Government agency report, and news report to update both the emergency management team and the public. Also, 85 (61.2%) respondents agree that the library uses their websites to disseminate information on COVID-19 to the public as well as sharing of e-fliers containing information on how to stay safe from COVID-19, while 81 (58.3%) respondents agreed that Nigerian libraries organize outreach to sensitize the populace. Nevertheless, 62 (44.6%) of the respondents disagreed that the libraries create and maintain an e-mail list of groups directly affected by the pandemic. This, therefore, implies that some of the activities organized by Nigerian libraries to curtail the spread of COVID-19 include maintaining careful watch of PubMed, Government agency report, and news report to update both the emergency management team and the public; producing and sharing E-fliers containing information on how to stay safe from COVID-19; organizing outreach to sensitize the populace as well as disseminating information on COVID-19 to the public via the library website. This finding is in support with EveryLibrary’s assertion that libraries all over the world are assisting governments in the fight against the novel coronavirus by giving out information literacy sensitization training to the populace, gather information resources from trusted and accurate sources like Medline Plus that are easily understood by patrons. Similarly, the finding is in conformity with Wang and Lund’s (2020) study that libraries provide links to resources like the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), disseminate information on safety tips, and provide access to remote online streaming programs as part of the activities to curtail the spread of the virus.

Table 4.

Activities Organized by Nigerian Libraries to Curtail the Spread of COVID-19 Pandemic

From Table 5, it is evident that the measures put in place in Nigerian libraries to curtail the spread of COVID-19 include the provision of washing materials and hand sanitizers to both library staff and patrons 103 (74.1%); regular communication to staff and patrons with updates and guidelines on safety measures 88 (63.3%); reduced library opening hours 88 (63.3%); regular cleaning of furniture and other library equipment 79 (56.8%) and cleaning supplies provided directly to library staff 65 (46.8%). Also, some respondents noted that other measures put in place in their libraries include total lockdown of the library, providing awareness to library patron through different displays in the library, and compulsory use of face mask by both staff and patron. However, 91 (65.5%) respondents disagreed that there is a regular supply of paper towels in restrooms. This implies that the measures put in place in Nigerian libraries to curtail the spread of COVID-19 in Nigerian include the provision of washing materials and hand sanitizers to both library staff and patrons; regular communication to staff and patrons with updates and guidelines on safety measures; reduced library opening hours; regular cleaning of furniture and other library equipment, cleaning supplies provided directly to library staff, the total lockdown of the library, providing awareness to library patron through different displays in the library and compulsory use of face mask by both staff and patrons. This finding is in line with the publications of IFLA (2020), ALA (2020), and AfLIA (2020) that total lockdown of libraries, provision of handwashing materials and hand sanitizers, frequent cleaning of library equipment and supplies as well as regular communication to staff and patrons with updates and guidelines are measures to be adopted by libraries to curtail the spread of COVID-19.

Table 5.

Measures put in place in Nigerian libraries to curtail the spread of COVID-19

Table 6 revealed that the challenges faced by Nigerian libraries in services delivery amidst the COVID-19 crisis include lack of adequate power supply 105 (75.5%), poor Internet services delivery among network providers 99 (71.2%), inadequate skills and knowledge of utilizing the Internet resources and services among the populace 99 (71.2%), lack of adequate infrastructure/computers with Internet connectivity 93(66.9%), high cost of data subscription 86 (61.9%) as well as difficulties in accessing and retrieving information from the Internet 75 (54.5%). Furthermore, some respondents also noted that the general lockdown directive by the Federal Government of Nigeria in some states, the industrial action currently embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (in Nigeria), lack of preparation for global pandemic and inadequate funding of libraries are other challenges faced by Nigerian libraries in services delivery amidst the COVID-19 crisis. Nonetheless, 64 (46.0%) of the respondents disagreed that patrons have difficulties in accessing and retrieving information from the Internet. The revelation from this study is in tandem with that of Korah and Cassidy (2010) and Salaam and Adegbore (2010) that poor Internet services, epileptic power supply, inadequate ICT skills, and inadequate infrastructure are challenges facing libraries in developing countries. Similarly, Quadri (2013) opined that slow speed of the server, distance to the library, power failure, and attitude of library staff, system breakdown, and lack of skills in using the Internet, insufficient workstations, and time constraints as challenges facing effective services delivery in libraries. These challenges are however considered perennial challenges facing libraries in Sub-Sahara Africa.

Table 6.

Challenges Faced by Nigerian Libraries in Services Delivery amidst the COVID-19 Crisis

5. Conclusion

Discussion of the role of libraries in providing reliable information during times of crisis and pandemic has existed for many decades and the advent of the Internet, social media, and other means for libraries to communicate with the public has only further enhanced the capacity of libraries to serve in this role. The purpose of this study is to produce timely information about the COVID-19 virus in plain-language and examine how libraries in Nigeria have responded to the pandemic in real-time through the provision of their services. To successfully curtail the spread of COVID-19 in countries like Nigeria, public institutions whose services are aimed at promoting positive change, development, orientation, and re-orientation in the society, must collaborate with the government of the day. The library being a perfect example of such an organization, must play a significant role by providing quality services (including dissemination of quality information) to the populace and acting as a link between the country’s National Center for Disease Control (NCDC) and the citizens. Libraries, in addition to their educational, recreational, and socio-economical relevance to society, provide information that creates awareness/sensitization to citizens in the society. This is very important because awareness creation is crucial to winning the fight against COVID-19, as citizens need to be aware of the virus preventive measures such as social distancing, good hygiene practices, and regular use of hand sanitizers amongst others.

6. Recommendations

• (a) Online library services should be provided (24/7) to all library users and the general public by giving unlimited access to the libraries’ website. This is necessary to help the public keep up with happenings around the world on the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, online training activities should be activated on library websites to help those who need to acquire basic skills of the computer and the internet while at home.
• (b) Libraries in Nigeria should organize outreach services in local communities who do not have access to electricity and or the Internet. The outreach will include using graphical and demonstrati ve communication to educate the people on how to keep safe and stop the spread of COVID-19.
• (c) The Nigerian Government should include librarians in the policymaking process concerning preparedness for pandemics in the future, this should be done through the Library Professional Associations (LRCN and NLA). Key in their pandemic preparedness policy should be the reduction of Internet subscription rates for the public during the pandemic; this will help the public gain easy access to online activities organized by libraries.
• (d) Libraries need to draw up policies that will help them manage pandemics in the future. Such policies should include: budget for the provision of constant electricity to power the library servers that will be used to reach out to the public; and training and positioning of librarians on the skills needed for virtual library services, especially during a pandemic.
• (e) Government should make funds available to libraries to get them ready for the task of providing information about the pandemic and educating the public through the library website, social media, and outreach programs.

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