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A short survey of the use of online information retrieval is presented and shows that 70% of academic libraries were users. The main justifications for implementation were felt to be cost‐effectiveness and greater retrieval capability. Most services were directed at academic and research staff and few at undergraduates. At this stage only a small number of trained searchers exist in each institution. The pros and cons of charging for services are evaluated and linked to the results of American surveys.

The study aims to determine the extent of COVID-19’s impact on the libraries and information centers within Benguet. It identified the key differences in the effect of the pandemic on each type of library: public, special, school and academic. It recalled and documented the challenges faced by libraries and librarians. It determined which aspects of their library were affected and how they were modified in terms of their policies, personnel, physical space, services, collection, infodemic response and marketing.

The study used the qualitative descriptive method approach, specifically narrative research design and conducted online focus group discussions in which 14 librarians with managerial or supervisory functions participated. This method was used to explore the topic holistically by using qualitative inquiry. It best suited the purpose of fully understanding the experiences of libraries during the pandemic. The recorded online focus group discussions conducted through Zoom were reviewed and analyzed to identify key themes and responses from the participants. The themes identified from the thematic analysis were further validated with the participants through correspondence, chats or e-mails.

The findings showed that libraries were faced with challenges brought on by the lack of a written policy for the pandemic response, a lack of information communication and technology skills and resources, strict requirements on physical setup for pandemic compliance, budget cuts or realignments and delayed procurement, misinformation and users’ lack of awareness of the new services offered by the library.

The study focused on the pandemic experiences of libraries and information centers in Baguio-Benguet, which was hailed as a model for local pandemic response, through the lenses of librarians with supervisory roles or functions.

Libraries could reflect on their experiences in this pandemic to plan for future strategies that would be best implemented in situations where face-to-face services are not allowed.

This study presented various best practices from different library institutions that could be emulated in the future. Many of these are still relevant regardless library services are going back to normal.

This paper aims to highlight recent resources on information literacy (IL) and library instruction, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations and other materials on library instruction and IL published in 2015.

This paper provides information about each source, describes the characteristics of current scholarship and highlights sources that contain either unique or significant scholarly contributions.

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and IL.

The present study was carried out with the intention of examining what type of instruction applications and help tools have been used to serve clientele via academic library websites and web pages, and how Sri Lankan academic libraries instruct and help users via their library websites and web pages.

A sample study comprised only 14 academic library websites and web pages out of 223, which were accessible and necessarily presented instruction applications and help tools. Two coding sheets were prepared separately for instruction and help to include classified data, and then the frequency counted from each category by browsing the sample recorded in the coders for analysis.

The results confirmed that the quality of academic library websites in Sri Lanka in providing online instruction and help was dependent on different variables. The development of above online services remains in its infancy. Most important instruction applications and help tools have not been utilized by the majority of websites in academic libraries. Inaccessibility of such services via the library web reflects not only their malfunction in online instruction and help, but also onsite services of some areas in academic libraries.

Nonexistence of websites or web pages and lack of enough information in library websites caused the exclusion of most of the libraries in the country from inclusion in the sample; this in turn affected this study by limiting it to academic libraries only.

The majority of recommendations originated from the study can be generalized for both web and online service development of any type of library in Sri Lanka.

The deficiency of research on library websites in Sri Lanka provides no clear image regarding the existing situation of online library services. Thus this study contributes towards addressing this gap in the literature and features distinctiveness within the available literature.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a selected bibliography of recent resources on library instruction and information literacy.

Introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2013.

Provides information about each source, discusses the characteristics of current scholarship and describes sources that contain unique scholarly contributions and quality reproductions.

The information may be used by librarians and interested parties as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

Because many colleges and universities have growing numbers of students in online and blended programs, libraries should adapt their services and adjust their organizational structures to support them. Students have adopted blended learning programs whether or not the programs are officially designed as blended programs. Libraries need to change their service orientation in response and learn to scale services using available technologies. Scaling services and personnel resources also requires developing a scalable organizational learning culture. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Using a change in support for online/distance students and organizational restructuring in Ekstrom Library at the University of Louisville as a case study, this paper examines the review process, organizational restructuring, and focus on scaling services that resulted in a new service model.

This study found that scaling services as applied to IT and business organizations is also valuable as an approach in enhancing library services to online students. Changing user needs must be correlated with available organizational resources and technological solutions to deliver appropriate services. Modifying and building services with a goal of scaling them to appropriate levels will enhance library outcomes.

Other case studies concerned with responding to changing student expectations and scaling services and organizational resources would be useful to add to these findings.

The perspectives and approach described in this case study will be instructive for adapting library services to changing user environments.

This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering all library types.

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2018.

The paper provides a brief description of all 422 sources, and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

The information may be used by librarians and anyone interested as a quick reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

The purpose of this study is to assess the perceived satisfaction of Advanced Certificate in Teaching students and facilitators regarding online library services offered by the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa.

The study adopted a quantitative approach with open-ended questions that generated some qualitative data. Data has been presented using descriptive statistics in the form of tables, graphs and charts and thematic content analysis for some qualitative data.

All learners in this study were adults between 45 and 55 years of age. Of the respondents, 13% lacked online experience, while about 85% had never used online library services and 35% indicated that Google was their primary source of information. The majority of respondents indicated information literacy as a core function of the academic library. High data cost in South Africa came out as one of the major issues affecting distance learners as well as login and password frustrations. The study confirmed computer anxiety, physical discomfort, information overflow and prompt response as some of the perceived challenges and levels of satisfaction respectively of Advanced Certificate in Teaching students and facilitators regarding online library services offered by the University of the Free State (UFS) in South Africa.

The study revealed that a distance learning library policy is of the essence because it helps to put in place rules and regulations that guide the delivery of distance library services.

The offering of online and distance library services is a fairly new concept to the UFS library. This study bridges the gap between theory and practice regarding the perceived satisfaction of distance users on online library services and how to improve the current practice.

This paper aims to present recently published resources on library instruction and information literacy, providing an introductory overview and a selected annotated bibliography of publications covering various library types, study populations and research contexts.

This paper introduces and annotates English-language periodical articles, monographs, dissertations, reports and other materials on library instruction and information literacy published in 2019.

The paper provides a brief description of all 370 sources and highlights sources that contain unique or significant scholarly contributions.

The information may be used by librarians, researchers and anyone interested as a quick and comprehensive reference to literature on library instruction and information literacy.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the East West University Library’s (EWUL’s) response to COVID-19 situation through their transformation to digital services. The paper tries to explain how these digital library services support the user community of East West University (EWU) in online teaching and access to information resources.

This paper describes the EWUL’s several digital services that are used to meet the needs of its user community during the COVID-19 pandemic. The reflective practice approach has been undertaken for this study on the basis of the authors’ personal experiences working at an academic library. The authors used the reflective practice approach to assess the library’s practice during crisis situation, make the use of technological interventions in service providing and also to re-innovate the digital services for future.

During the pandemic, the library shifted all the possible physical or on-site services to digital services, i.e. online resource facilities and remote access to these, federated searching, Web online public access catalog, engaging users through social media, specialized knowledge space, online document delivery, article on request, information literacy training, virtual reference service, etc. The user engagement in all these services is also notable.

The nature of this study is limited to the COVID-19 pandemic and within a particular geographic location.

This paper has implications and possible applications for other university libraries in developing countries, which intends to transform their services into digital for ensuring better service quality for their respective user community.

This paper makes a valuable contribution to the literature on how a private university library of a developing country is responding to pandemics such as COVID-19.