Challenges and Actions of Public Libraries for Reopening and Providing Services Under COVID-19 Crisis: An Analysis of International Guidelines and Actions

In order to identify the protocol of public libraries’ activities during the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak, it seems necessary to take into account the solutions and actions that have already been applied internationally. This study endeavors to explore challenges and actions of public libraries during COVID-19 crisis for reopening and providing services by analyzing international guidelines and actions.

This study was a narrative review with qualitative content analysis research method. After surfing the web pages by Google search engine and selecting 39 related pages of search results, issues related to the effect of COVID-19 on public library services were analyzed by inductive content analysis. Then, the extracted codes were categorized. Four-dimension criteria (credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability) were implemented to enhance the robustness of the study.

340 codes were identified which were categorized into three broad categories as preventive and healthy actions in libraries, development of information services under conditions of COVID-19, and restrictions and challenges in providing library services.

Iranian public libraries managers should consider various aspects for addressing or developing services and it seems necessary to pay attention to the issues identified in this study as a primary principle. Therefore, these results can be used in the development of the COVID-19 crisis management program for Iranian public libraries.