EXPERIENCE OF AN ACADEMIC LIBRARY DURING THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC

The study shared the experience of an academic library during the COVID-19 pandemic in a Nigerian University. The study was a descriptive survey to purposively sample 2687 subscribers to the library social media platform “the Telegram” used to disseminate library services. The findings revealed that there were more males (83%) than female (17%) subscribers, a total of 446 information resources were disseminated through provision of their links (402), as pdf (31) and Jpeg (8). Applications, documents and videos were the least formats used which was challenged by inadequacies of working from home, poor infrastructure and lack of working space, as well as data subscription was paid from staff pockets. In conclusion, the global pandemic was acknowledged to affect the academic library positively and negatively. Recommended was that demographic elements of the telegram group should be expanded, institutional repository hosted by the library should be leveraged on and acquisition of electronic gadgets should be done immediately