QUALITY LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SERVICES DURING COVID PANDEMIC: A REVIEW

Abstract

The corona virus pandemic has been an unparalleled event- a deep humanitarian crisis- that has disrupted our lives, our livelihoods, and our economies in an extraordinary manner. The catastrophe has not only threatened human lives, it has also reduced the capability of the industries and businesses to cope with the devastating impact. This also includes the knowledge industry, which has been a direct casualty of the pandemic. In the case of GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museum), they are facing hard choices as they start from minimal restrictions to full closure. The libraries cannot afford to close their regular duties of providing right information to the users. However amidst the pandemic, the libraries can continue to provide relevant information and knowledge sources to the information seekers including teachers, students, and researchers through various resources on virtual platforms. Apart from these formal roles, libraries also have social roles to play- as a provider of information literacy skills-which includes sensitizing and disseminating information on precautions of the SARS COVID-19; sharing the government guidelines in the communities; and boosting the morale of people. In this article, focus has been made on the role of the libraries in providing the quality information services to the users during the pandemic situation and what is its impact on the libraries and its users.