Impact of COVID-19 on Library Services in US Pharmacy Programs

ABSTRACT

Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many academic libraries closing physical spaces and the reduction of personnel due to quarantine measures. The potential reduction in library services could have a negative impact on research by pharmacy faculty. Research Question or Hypothesis: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a decrease in library services offered to researchers. Study Design: Cross-sectional online survey of librarians and pharmacy faculty at US pharmacy schools Methods: A survey was designed to assess library services offered at US pharmacy schools and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on those services. The survey was distributed to both librarians and faculty via AACP and MLA listservs. Results: 39 surveys were completed and analyzed. Most of the surveys were completed by librarians (58%), followed by faculty members (25%). Common services provided by librarians included literature searches, systematic reviews, article retrieval, and instruction. COVID-19 affected library services at most (76%) institutions, although many institutions (58%) did not have to reduce library staffing. As a result, most respondents (73%) did not feel that COVID-19 negatively impact their ability to conduct research. For those who felt that their research was negatively impacted, the delay in library services was the most common reason. Most respondents reported their research efforts were not negatively affected due to the presence of online resources and services, which did increase at several institutions during the pandemic. Conclusion: While COVID-19 affected many aspects of pharmacy education, the effects on library services appeared to have little negative impact on faculty's ability to conduct research. This is most likely due to the availability of online and digital resources. The results of this study are limited by the low response rate, the low number of non-librarians who completed the survey, and the possibility that multiple respondents were from the same institution, which could have skewed the results.