Electronic Resource Usage During the Pandemic: A Snapshot Using OpenAthens

Abstract

In March 2020, East Carolina University (ECU) transitioned to remote work and online instruction to reduce operations on campus and help address the spread of COVID-19. To respond to this shift in workflow, ECU Libraries published a FAQ (frequently asked questions) page and provided resources for faculty, staff, and students as they navigated access to library resources from remote locations. Staff expected to see the use of electronic resources affected and potentially a spike in authentications as a result of the transition to online instruction and work arrangements. This case study examines the use of library resources from September 2019 to August 2021 at East Carolina University Libraries. Top platforms are discussed and trends analyzed using the OpenAthens statistics platform. This article is based on a lightning talk presented at the North Carolina Serials Conference in April 2022.

Keywords:

• Authentication systems
• COVID-19
• electronic resources
• OpenAthens