SA Libraries Symposium

It was my pleasure yesterday to present at the SA Libraries Symposium regarding COVID19. I discussed the global contribution libraries make to disaster risk reduction and the role libraries have played in the COVID19 response.

Not only do libraries assist communities in preparing for disasters, provide a range of support during recovery but also contribute to positive mental health outcomes for impacted communities and preserve community disaster heritage.

During COVID19 we have witnessed librarians playing a critical role in the comprehensive searching for evidence-based information, rapid evidence searching and synthesizing the information to support health agencies and government departments in making rapid decisions, which is key in pandemics. We have also seen the Librarian Reserve Corps established who are 130 globally based librarians who are working with World Health Organisation (WHO) and Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) to review daily publications reports to distribute to WHO operational response team. Public Health England (PHE) librarians created resources to help professionals working in pandemic to identify and access emergency evidence. Librarians have also been critical in promoting the value of open access and importance of peer reviewed work and the role this plays in the global response to COVID19. They have also given support to communities, many of whom have turned to reading as a source of escape resulting in increased book sales to clearing of shelves in Victorian libraries just prior to lockdown. Libraries produced visors for health professionals via 3D printers, provided outreach to vulnerable community members and supporting WFH families by providing online activities for children.

I thank Ainsley Best, Liz Walkley Hall and Akrati Dwivedi for the invitation to present and share the valuable contribution libraries and librarians have made in the COVID19 response.