IMPACT OF COVID-19 ON LIBRARIES OF NAAC ACCREDITED COLLEGES IN MAHARASHTRA:A CASE STUDY

The main objective of this study is to discover the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on libraries of NAAC accredited arts, commerce and science colleges in Maharashtra state, India. Out of 1118 libraries of accredited colleges identified, questionnaires (in google form) were distributed through cluster sampling method (via email and WhatsApp) to 152 college librarians and 110 received back were analyzed. The results showed that COVID-19 recognizably affected college libraries in Maharashtra, 3/5th of the libraries remain closed, document delivery services and interlibrary loan services decreased below 50%, acquisition of print documents decreased whereas electronic documents increased, use of physical resources decreased whereas electronic resources increased, a large majority of reading materials were quarantined, major library services were provided through google meet, zoom and webex, library staff utilized their time in professional development programs, in more than half of the libraries the staff completed pending library jobs, shifting from physical services to online was the biggest problem, cent percent respondents expressed that library authorities did check body temperature, obeying social distancing and use of sanitizers. This study will be of help in guiding college libraries in preparing to survive in hybrid environments