“Think out of the box”: Opportunities from COVID-19 for libraries

Crises often spur societies to rethink their structures to meet immediate needs and prepare for the future. While the COVID-19 pandemic led public libraries to rethink how they serve their communities, there is sparse literature exploring how opportunities from the pandemic can be leveraged. This article examines such opportunities from the COVID-19 pandemic as described by African public librarians. The authors conducted virtual interviews with 11 head librarians in nine African countries and analyzed the data using inductive thematic analysis. It was found that many librarians improved their digital skills. Some libraries who hitherto did not have computers and Internet connectivity were provided with such digital tools. Also, most of the librarians leveraged low-cost digital platforms like WhatsApp to share information. Their experiences are used to think about how public librarians can leverage opportunities from the pandemic to meet the information needs of their communities.