SKILLS REQUIRED IN MEETING THE CHALLENGES OF ACADEMIC LIBRARY SERVICES DELIVERY DURING AND POST COVID-19

Abstract

The outbreak of corona virus in China in 2019 and its spread across the countries of the world has amplified the needs for academic libraries to develop capacity for improved service provision. This conceptual paper, which is based on qualitative review of literature, examines the impact of COVID-19 on academic libraries, the skills needed by academic librarians and library patrons in overcoming the challenges brought by COVID-19 to academic library services. The paper concludes that with uncertainty at the centre of this new reality, risk assessment and contingency planning should continue to feature high in the planning agenda of academic libraries. Emphasis should be placed on the training and retraining of academic librarians to acquire skills that will enable them to continue to be relevant during and after COVID-19.