Assessing Demographics and Needs of Online Students before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Lessons from Academic Libraries

Abstract

Students are integral to all universities, and online students have long been a growing and important population within higher education. Understanding the shifts of demographics and needs of online students through a global pandemic is crucial for university administrators, instructors, and librarians. For this analysis, a librarian at a mid-sized, public university performed a mixed-method study with interviews and surveys to virtual students about their academic needs before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study found that online students continue to want versatile and diverse library tools and resources to advance their academic success to face world challenges.

Supplemental data for this article is available online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/1533290X.2022.2056279

Keywords:

• Online learning
• online students
• assessment
• interviews
• survey
• student support
• student success