Hospital Librarians Meet the Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic

Med Ref Serv Q. 2021 Oct-Dec;40(4):408-420. doi: 10.1080/02763869.2021.1987805.

Abstract

When the COVID-19 pandemic arrived in the United States in early 2020, it caused an information explosion in the health science literature. Researchers wanted to share their results quickly, so they utilized sources that were not indexed in conventional databases. Hospital librarians stepped up to meet the information and public health challenges of the pandemic. They developed alternate strategies to provide services and resources remotely at a time when their physical libraries were closed to comply with the need for social distancing and compliance with public health recommendations.

Keywords: Bibliographic databases; COVID-19; coronavirus; hospital libraries; information services; teleworking.

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19*
  • Hospitals
  • Humans
  • Librarians*
  • Pandemics
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • United States