The times they are a-changin’: But how fundamentally and how rapidly? Academic library services post-pandemic

ABSTRACT

During the coronavirus pandemic, the use of online shopping has grown rapidly. In the United Kingdom, it has been estimated that the uptake has increased to a level that it would have taken up to 5 years to achieve if the pandemic had not occurred. It is thought to be unlikely that online shopping will reduce significantly post-pandemic with major consequences for physical retail provision. Will similar trends apply to academic libraries? Will the range of online services introducing lockdown be a permanent feature? Will additional online services be required? Will there be a move back to some of the more traditional face-to-face services? This chapter looks to envision academic libraries post-pandemic. The content is based on questionnaire responses from a range of academic librarians and managers, based in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, Finland, Australia, and the United States, many of whom have contributed to three recent volumes edited by the author and published by Chandos/Elsevier. © 2021 David Baker and Lucy Ellis Published by Elsevier Ltd.