Panel Discussion: Research Libraries & COVID-19 - Impact & Plans for the Future

In October 2020, LIBER launched a survey on ‘The State of Research Libraries During COVID-19: How Can LIBER Support You?’ The survey is set to map and assess the impact of COVID-19 on research libraries throughout Europe thus far, as well as to help libraries prepare for the challenging months ahead.

Our survey was aimed at addressing the overall effects COVID-19 had on libraries so far. It also aims to outline the current situation within European research libraries as far as maintaining and building library services is concerned. Moreover, the survey is a crucial tool to help ascertain LIBER’s role in supporting its network through times of crisis. 

LIBER’s Executive Director, Astrid Verheusen, will present the main findings of the survey results as part of an introduction to a panel discussion on the topic. During the panel discussion we will explore and further investigate the key takeaways of the survey by bringing together leaders and experts from within and outside our network.

As we move towards a post-pandemic reconstruction of the library and scholarly information landscape, we believe that collaboration across the European library network will crucial. This will help us share collective expertise and allow libraries from across the entire LIBER community to play their part in helping with the necessary work of social and educational reconstruction.

This discussion is open to anyone interested in finding out how European research libraries responded to COVID-19 and how to effectively plan for the future through collaborative measures.

The Panel

Moderator:  Hilde van Wijngaarden, LIBER Treasurer, Director University Library, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Panellists:

Jeannette Frey, LIBER President, Director of Bibliothèque Cantonale et Universitaire (BCU) Lausanne

Matt Greenhall, Deputy Executive Director, RLUK

Mary Lee Kennedy, Executive Director, Association of Research Libraries (ARL)

Martine Pronk, Division Manager, Academic Services, University of Utrecht Library

Giannis Tsakonas, Director, Library & Information Center, University of Patras