Making the Importance of Libraries and Librarians Visible: An International Online Library Skills Initiative in Response to COVID

ABSTRACT

The onset of COVID required many libraries to re-imagine how they conducted their services. It also identified needs and gaps in the delivery of these services to the community. In response to changes such as extended lockdowns and the resultant economic difficulties and the wider need for digital literacy skills, Hong Kong SKH Ming Hua Theological College Library (MH College) established an international collaboration to develop and deliver online tours/ talks as a library skills program with librarians, faculty, students, and professionals in Hong Kong, Japan and Australia. The overall aims of this initiative were to provide an online library skills program for education, leisure and to make the value of librarians and libraries visible to stakeholders during the pandemic to ensure the upkeep of library resources, budgeting and staffing. Through partnerships with key stakeholders and the use of a variety of innovative IT tools, real-time online activities were conducted in three languages (English, Chinese and Japanese) to an internationally distributed audience. This paper will outline the background and organisation of the program, its design and discuss the lessons learned and implications for practice of the strategies used in the program.

KEYWORDS:

• International collaboration
• digital literacy
• library activities
• user education

Acknowledgements

Thank you to all facilitators, audiences and participating institutions of this project.

Disclosure Statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sau Ching Helen Cheung

Helen Cheung gained her PhD from the University of Hong Kong, focused on IT in education and digital humanities. She was awarded her MLIS from the University of Pittsburgh, with a major in digital libraries. She is currently the College Librarian of Hong Kong SKH Ming Hua Theological College and an adjunct professional of Charles Sturt University.

Mary Carroll

Associate Professor Mary Carroll’s (Charles Sturt University) research draws on a multi-disciplinary background and is focused on the intersection of libraries, books and learning in both the contemporary and historical context. Crossing sectors and historical eras Mary's research examines the role information and information agencies play in addressing equity, promoting social inclusion and influencing broader social issues.

Yoko Hirose Nagao

Yoko Hirose Nagao teaches library science at two universities as a lecturer in Japan. She also operates a company, RapidsWide, which is mainly focused on library-related event-planning and tours. Yoko holds a Bachelor of Library and Information Science degree from Keio University and a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Pittsburgh.