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COVID – 19 Pandemic and Readiness on Provision of Library Services in Selected Academic Libraries, in Dares Salaam Region, Tanzania

James E. Kazoka , Alexcia Elias Raphael1 , James E. Kazoka2

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Indian Journal of Library and Information Science 18(2):p 131-143, . | DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21088/ijlis.0973.9548.18224.5
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Alexcia Elias Raphael, James E. Kazoka. COVID – 19 Pandemic and Readiness on Provision of Library Services in Selected Academic Libraries, in Dares Salaam Region, Tanzania. Ind J Lib. Inf Sci. 2024;18 (2):131–143.

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Abstract

The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the world brought many changes in the  way libraries provided services to users. Most academic libraries worldwide have placed a  strong emphasis on using online services to combat the spread of the pandemic. This study  sets out to examine the readiness of academic libraries in Tanzania to provide services to  their patrons during the period of the COVID-19 pandemic and determine their working  practices and strategies applied to overcome the spread of the pandemic. The study used a  quantitative and qualitative approach to collecting data through a structured questionnaire  and semi-structured interviews with users and librarians in the surveyed academic libraries.  The findings showed that libraries restored their web pages, reassigned resources, and planned robust online services for their users. Library staff worked from home, and there  was a sense of overburden because of the lack of connectivity and other formal working  policies addressing the new working routines. University librarians believed that the  digital divide resulted from a lack of digital literacy skills, and slow internet speed was  the most significant barrier to their transition from physical to online mode, resulting in less use of the library’s online resources and web portals. Libraries see their individual and  collective roles in societal and educational dimensions during these uncertain times. The  study recommends that libraries should reassess their facilities, resources, strategies, and  services in order to be capable of playing a vital role in supporting their users to access  information based on their information needs.

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  • James E. Kazoka
    ,
  • Alexcia Elias Raphael1
    ,
  • James E. Kazoka2
    ,
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Alexcia Elias Raphael, James E. Kazoka. COVID – 19 Pandemic and Readiness on Provision of Library Services in Selected Academic Libraries, in Dares Salaam Region, Tanzania. Ind J Lib. Inf Sci. 2024;18 (2):131–143.

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.21088/ijlis.0973.9548.18224.5
Keywords COVID - 19; Academic libraries; Provision of Library Services; Pandemic; Library Resource.

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