Innovation or forced renewal? Digitizing library services during the coronavirus pandemic

Abstract

The Covid19 pandemic has posed a major challenge to libraries, which have strived to fulfil their mission during the crisis despite the forced closure due to epidemic restrictions. To assess the impact of the pandemic on libraries in Hungary, the Research and Analysis Department of the Hungarian Library Institute conducted a nationwide online survey at the beginning of 2021. The findings show that libraries were not only able to provide book lending by setting up drop-off points or delivering books to users’ homes during the closure, but many institutions also enhanced their online communication and introduced new electronic and remote services. The pandemic seems to have accelerated digitization and the spread of remote and online services that would have been otherwise created later of not at all. These changes have allowed libraries to continue to reach some of their visitors, but the community function of libraries has been severely damaged by the closure of buildings. According to research findings, library managers who have had previous experience with remote and online services, consider these to be useful and valuable services in the long term.