Library Services Delivery in Africa during & after COVID-19 Pandemic

A Call to Action: Adopt, adapt and engage! A call to action for African libraries to re-invent library services delivery in Africa, during and after the global pandemic. In June 2020, Library Aid Africa commenced the Virtual Consultation on Post COVID-19 Library Services Delivery in Africa with the view to connect librarians to learn and share experience and best practices on how to address concerns and emerging issues being faced by libraries, librarians and library users, due to the global pandemic. With growing concerns on how libraries in African countries can better serve their communities, the standard of library services in Africa seems to have moved from bad to worse because of the COVID-19 which caused closure of physical library spaces, as the majority of African libraries cannot operate remotely. However, findings from the virtual consultation have shown that library professionals have various roles to play to re-invent library services and reach more users during and after the global pandemic. These have been categorised into 3 strategic directions; library Leadership roles, going “Digital”, and ensuring that librarians acquire the emerging skills and training to do so. In summary, we are calling on library leaders to provide vision and develop the partnerships that will enable African libraries to realise their potential, on libraries and those that support them to ensure that there is the right infrastructure, equipment laws to deliver services digitally, and finally to ensure that with this come the skills needed for librarians to realise their potential to support their communities.