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ABSTRACT
Library services in the US were reduced during the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, and rural residents were particularly impacted. To understand the impact of the pandemic on library services in rural areas, this paper analyzed the 2020 Texas Public Library Statistics and a portion of the 2019 and 2018 data. It examined various services from libraries located in the areas with a population of less than 5,000. Although libraries opened only 76% of hours in 2020 compared to 2019 and 2018, their public computer usage dropped around 50% compared to previous years. Paired sample t-tests suggested statistically significant differences in annual library visits, opening hours, and computer use, indicating much-needed support for computing resources in rural areas because of the pandemic. This study suggested that rural libraries are crucial candidates for a public-private partnership to build rural broadband and enhance public computing services.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).
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Yunfei Du
Yunfei Du is Professor and Associate Dean of Academics, College of Information, Department of Information Science, University of North Texas. His research interests include rural libraries, information behavior, cognitive styles, and distance learning.