How Libraries Adapted: Digital Shifts During COVID

Professor David Baker, Director at Baker Consulting, Principal and Chief Executive of Plymouth Marjon University, and Deputy Chair of the UK’s Joint Information Systems Committee, along with Dr. Lucy Ellis, Associate at David Baker Consulting and Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, discuss pivotal insights from their edited volume, "Libraries, Digital Information, and COVID: Practical Applications and Approaches to Challenge and Change." Their discussion explores how libraries are adapting to the profound transformations in digital information delivery and physical service provision during and beyond the pandemic. Professor David Baker and Dr. Lucy Ellis, leading experts in library and information science, explore the profound transformations libraries have experienced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Their discussion highlights the urgent need to address the digital divide through targeted strategies such as device lending, digital literacy programs, and equitable infrastructure investments. They also emphasize the evolving purpose of libraries as essential hybrid spaces balancing physical and digital services, supporting staff well-being, and adopting innovative service models that emerged during the crisis. The conversation underscores the importance of sustainability, equity, and adaptability, urging library leaders to embrace hybrid approaches and prioritize user access, staff resilience, and continual innovation for the future. This podcast is brought to you by Global Management Consultancy. For more information, please visit www.globalmanagementconsultancy.com. Disclaimer: A. The background music used in this video is the property of its respective developer and is protected by Copyright. Although it is a free version, Business Talk, Global Management Consultancy and Deepak Bhatt do not hold the rights to this music. B. Dr. David Baker and Dr. Lucy Ellis generously shared profound insights from their book, “Libraries, Digital Information, and COVID: Practical Applications and Approaches to Challenge and Change”, during their appearance on the Business Talk podcast channel. The uploaded video contains copyrighted material; therefore, any modifications to graphics, music, or the presence of the author or host are strictly prohibited.