COVID-19 research

NSW public libraries – the COVID-19 response

In 2020 the State Library surveyed NSW public library managers to understand the immediate impacts the COVID-19 pandemic had on their library operations, staffing, programs and services.  The survey covered the period 1 March to 1 June 2020.  

The aim of this survey was to capture information on how public libraries in NSW coped with the lockdown. How they responded to the challenges posed by the pandemic while that experience remained fresh was a key driver. The survey was developed by the State Library of New South Wales, in partnership with Library Consultancy 641 DI, along with much valuable input from public library managers from across New South Wales.  

Results of the survey are available in NSW Public Libraries - the COVID-19 response: report of a survey into how library services adapted to a pandemic. 

Impact of the 2021 COVID-19 lockdown on NSW public libraries

In 2021 the State Library conducted a second survey of NSW public libraries to collect information about the effects of the state-wide lockdown on library operations, staffing, programs and services. The aim of the survey was to capture information about the impact of lockdown restrictions and to understand how libraries’ previous experience in 2020 assisted them to form their response in 2021. The survey covered the period 25 June to 28 August 2021.

Libraries detailed their response to the lockdown and how they adapted services during this period. They identified a range of barriers and challenges to delivering services and how they sought to address them. Although the lockdown proved to be a challenging time for library staff, the experience highlighted their resilience and ability to adapt and innovate.  

Results of the survey are available in Impact of the 2021 COVID-19 lockdown on NSW public libraries: report of a survey into how library services adapted to lockdown.

Online programs in NSW public libraries

In 2020 the State Library conducted a survey to capture information about changes in online programming as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The survey covered the period 1 April to 30 June 2020, during the closure and subsequent re-opening of public libraries in NSW.  

The survey explored changes in programming due to library closures which caused many libraries to change onsite programs to online platforms. It also looked at the effect of social distancing and attendance caps on programming once libraries reopened.

The volume of online programming produced since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for the State Library to collect and analyse data that is not part of the annual statistics collection.  

COVID-19 closures and the impact on NSW public library users

In 2021 the State Library partnered with Charles Sturt University on a project to understand the importance of the physical spaces of NSW public libraries. NSW public library buildings were closed to the public for lengthy periods of time in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions. The aim of the project was to understand how much public library users missed visiting their physical libraries during the time of COVID-induced closures and in what ways users uniquely benefit from visiting public libraries’ physical spaces.

Four NSW library services participated in the project, two in metropolitan Sydney and two in regional areas. The project report outlines the research process and findings.  

More information about the research is available through the article Part of my daily life: the importance of public libraries as physical spaces  

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Collection usage during the COVID-19 pandemic

In 2021 and 2022 the State Library partnered with Charles Sturt University on a project to understand usage of NSW public library resources during the COVID-19 pandemic.  Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic public libraries put enormous effort into maintaining access to collections by expanding access to electronic material and introducing alternative creative solutions such as Click & Collect to allow continued public access to physical resources.

The project team analysed detailed loan data from two public libraries to understand usage patterns. The project report Usage patterns of NSW public libraries’ resources during the pandemic outlines the research process and findings. The report describes changes in use of resources over time and usage pattern by type, genre and subject.