Usage of Library Services during the COVID 19 Pandemic in Rajarata University of Sri Lanka

Abstract

In Sri Lanka, many academic libraries provide their library services on-premises until the sudden unexpected Covid 19 pandemic. The pandemic caused a huge impact on ongoing library services and library professionals were challenged to continuing library services with the limited resources. Considering the prevailing situation, the library system of Rajarata University of Sri Lanka initiated new service delivery platforms to continue the existing library services and continued previously provided services. This research analyses the usage of library services provided by the main library during the pandemic. Evaluated services were online resource request and delivery service, online awareness sessions, past papers delivery service through Moodle, online public access catalog service and library website. Different evaluation methodologies were used to evaluate the provided services and a new research model was developed using separate evaluation criteria for each evaluation methodology. The selected evaluation criteria were the number of resource requests, participation percentage of online awareness sessions, access percentage of past papers Moodle course, usage of online public access catalog and usage of the library website. Each criterion was analysed using a different methodology and results were presented separately. The study concludes that the main library of Rajarata university of Sri Lanka was able to provide a significant service to the university community during the Covid 19 with the help of technology, even though the library was not physically accessible.