Providing Information Resources to Remote Clients During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Perspective of the Distance Education Academic Libraries

The study aimed to determine the information resources provided to remote clients by the distance education academic libraries in Gauteng Province of South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic. The positivism research paradigm anchored this paper and used the quantitative research approach. Microsoft Form was used to design the questionnaire to collect data from the academic library staff. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) was used for data analysis. Cluster sampling was adopted as the actual number of the target population was not known. The findings revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic brought changes in the provision of information resources to remote clients in academic libraries in a distance education environment in the Gauteng province of South Africa; therefore, adaptation is essential for advancement in academic libraries operating in the distance education environment. The policymakers, academic library management, and stakeholders gained an insight to revisit the existing policy regarding the provision of information resources (hard and soft copies)