Access to Library Information Resources by University Students During Covid-19 Pandemic in Africa: a Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

Joyce Charles Shikali, Paul S. Muneja and Mohamed. Kassim

The study examined access to library information resources by university students during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Specifically, the study sought to identify the measures adopted by academic libraries to ensure the smooth deliveryof library information resources to patrons, particularly students, identifytechnological tools that libraries employed to facilitate access to library information resources,also, the study investigated the challenges faced by students in accessing library information resources.

Asystematic literature reviewapproach following PRISMA guidelines was employed to investigate the findings of the relevant literature on the subject. The keyword search strategy was employed to search for relevant literature from four scholarly databases:Scopus, Emerald, Research4life, and Google Scholar. The relevant 23 studies were included, fulfilling the set inclusion criteria.The findings were presented in a tabular form to provide a summary of each article and facilitate easy analysis and synthesis of results.

The findings of this study revealed that the majority of the reviewed studies indicate that, during the COVID-19 pandemic,many academic libraries in Africa adopted different approaches to facilitate access to library information resources by university students,including expanding access to electronic resources off-campus,virtual reference services, circulation, and lending services.Academic libraries in Africa use various digital technological tools like social media, library websites, email, and video conferencing to support access to library services and information resources. Moreover, the study revealed that limited access to internet services and ICT devices, inadequate electronic library collection,and inadequate digital and information literacy were the major challenges faced by many university students in accessing library resources during the pandemic. This study recommends investment in ICT infrastructures and expanding electronic resource collections, vital resources in the digital era.

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