Information dissemination during the COVID-19 pandemic: The role of librarians in Borno State Public Library

Abstract

This study investigated information dissemination need in the era of COVID-19 pandemic taking into cognizance the role of librarians in Borno State public library. Three research questions were raised. This study adopted a descriptive survey research design. It was found that librarians’ roles included advising the public on how to avoid misinformation; highlighting the importance of social distancing; giving general instructions to library users on the use of face masks, handwashing and use of sanitizers; enlightening library users to avoid handshakes in or outside the library. Public libraries in Borno State can support researchers by drawing attention to the latest developments regarding vaccination; drawing relevant studies published in medical journals; providing free access to the latest literature on coronavirus. Based on this finding, it was recommended that librarians should disseminate information via existing and digital media platforms to educate users.

Keywords

Information dissemination covid-19 public libraries

Introduction

COVID-19 appeared in the city of Wuhan, China, and has spread rapidly all over the world in just a few weeks. According to the World Health Organization (WHO 2020), COVID-19 is an infectious disease caused by a newly discovered coronavirus which affects people in different ways. COVID-19 seems to spread by face-to-face contact, by a sneeze or cough, or from contact with the secretions of people who are infected. Common symptoms of infection by this new virus include fever, dry cough, tiredness, shortness of breath, pains and aches, or sore throat, with a few people reporting diarrhoea, nausea or a runny nose (WHO, 2020)

The first case of Covid-19 was reported to have been confirmed in Africa on 14th February 2020, and it subsequently spreaded to the rest of sub-Saharan Africa. Nigeria recorded its first case of Covid-19 virus on 27th February 2020, when an Italian citizen who entered Nigeria on a business trip was tested positive in Lagos¹. On 9th March 2020 a second case of the virus was reported in Ogun State all in South West of Nigeria, and by 27^th July, 2020, 648 new cases were confirmed in the country.²

Research and reports on the effects and causes of possible re-emergence, and steps to curtail widespread casualties, have been the preoccupation of scientific societies in the developed countries, and the potential causes of the outbreak have been researched and documented (Wu and McGoogan, 2020) Jogwu (2010) remarked that a majority of Nigerian citizens are uninformed, and this affects their perception of and reaction to every post on social media. The psychological trauma people go through because of the effects, and fear of such news, is a virus of a different kind (Jogwu, 2010) Government is yet to make a categorical statement about these cases, the implication being that they may not all have been discovered. As a result, information about possible cases is being disseminated through social media. Fake news is not helping matters, and most citizens are unaware of authentic actions to reduce the spread of the virus. A recent unidentified social media post reported that China has supplied 2 million infected masks to Africa, and that was why the WHO warned Africa to prepare for the worst Such lies are capable of misleading people and jeopardizing government efforts towards curtailing the spread of the virus.

On 23rd March 2020, the President of International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) announced that libraries around the world are being affected by the emergence and spread of Covid-19. Libraries around the globe have to mobilize and provide reliable information on Covid-19 to give people a source they can trust (IFLA 2020) The roles of Nigerian libraries and library associations are crucial in the face of the prevailing global pandemic. It is apparent that fake news and misinformation have created confusion and posed challenges to efforts to curtail the spread of the virus. In this regard, public libraries in Borno State can share information quickly, efficiently and in real time as strategies in response to the Covid- 19 pandemic through their social networking pages like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn. They can provide a platform for gathering and disseminating information to promote awareness of the current situation.

In a broader sense, librarians and information professionals in public libraries have a vital role to play in public health emergencies. Public libraries can provide services to the public on the Coronavirus pandemic by providing current information and reliable resources for understanding and responding to Covid-19 on their websites. This led to the development of online learning support to include information on what Coronavirus is all about, how the virus spreads, steps for self and family protection, and steps to protect others in the community. They can also provide information on travel, government announcements, and accurate and up-to-date information on changes due to the rapidly evolving virus. Public libraries can also provide free online assistance with homework and school assignments to help students, and access to a wide range of online e-books, audio books, news sites, magazines and streaming videos to help people get through the Covid-19 pandemic (Nauven, 2020)

Information dissemination should be the role of librarians in public libraries in Borno State. In this regard, African Library and Information Association and Institutions (AFLIA) (2020) stressed that this is the time for librarians to carve a space for themselves in the fight against the continued march of the virus. This can be done disseminating correct, reliable, relevant information that will make Nigerians concerned, without instigating panic and bursting myths and disinformation that can help the pandemic to wax strong in the country. Despite much development since the introduction of libraries in Nigeria, beginning from the 1940s, studies by Nkechi et al. (2018) have shown that there are endemic constraints fostered by systemic or ecological problems bedeviling the establishment and functioning of libraries and librarianship in Nigeria.

In Borno State, there are numerous threats that continue to bedevil information dissemination by public libraries. Some of these threats include: unreliable Internet connections, insufficient librarians’ technical know-how and show-how, epileptic electricity, and lack of funds for libraries. It is therefore important to state the roles of public librarians in information dissemination during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Statement of the problem

Ordinarily, managing information dissemination effectively in public libraries is critical. But during a period of crisis, how information is gathered and handled is most crucial and could make all the difference between positive outcomes and exacerbated scenarios. The UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres posited that the danger now is not just the virus, which is the common enemy, but the growing surge of disseminating misinformation. In Borno State, characterized as having high rates of illiteracy, misinformation tends to thrive, undermining scientifically proven pathways that curb the spread of the virus, such as social/physical distancing, staying at home, proper hand-washing and use of sanitizers. This creates a big question for librarians in public libraries as regards to their roles in information dissemination in Borno State.

Research questions

What are the roles of public librarians in Borno State in promoting public health awareness in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic?

What are the roles of public librarians in Borno State in supporting researchers in providing latest developments in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic?

What are the roles of public librarians in Borno State in meeting the core needs of regular library users in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic?

Review of literature

Roles of librarians and information specialists in a pandemic

According to Muhammad (2020), in any pandemic, there are three dimensions to a librarian's role:

To promote public health awareness by creating and disseminating information relating to preventive measures;

To support research teams, researchers and faculty by providing information regarding the latest developments, research and literature;

To meet the core needs of regular library users.

Promote public health awareness regarding covid-19

To succeed, public health strategies require social acceptance of measures such as school closures, remote working, home isolation, and monitoring the health of symptomatic individuals using telephone or online health consultations (Heymann and Shindo, 2020) Heymann and Shindo further remarked that there are various topics which need to be embedded in awareness campaigns about Covid-19 – for example, the steps individuals can take to prevent transmission, general instructions on using masks, hand washing, and the use of sanitizers, the avoidance of handshakes and various other ways to control the spread of the virus. All librarians (public, specialist, academic and medical) have a responsibility to share evidence-based information about this epidemic. Other useful information might include histories from those who are recovering from this coronavirus and advice on good nutrition and lifestyle which can reduce the risk of this disease. According to Muhammad (2020), there are important messages which need to be conveyed on three topics:

i) Importance of social distancing

To reduce transmission of the disease, persons who are suspected of being infected need to adopt social distancing, staying at home in order to maintain social distance from family, friends, and strangers. In Pakistan this measure has been imposed in Punjab and Sind Provinces (with 557 and 469 infected patients) which was in lockdown from 23 March 2020 for 15 days (Muhammad, 2020)

ii) Possible implementation of quarantine measures

Quarantine is one of the oldest and most effective tools of controlling communicable disease outbreaks. Quarantine was used as an effective step during the pandemic situation in China. It is also an effective measure to control a pandemic of influenza (Wilder-Smith and Freedman, 2020)

iii) Advice on how to avoid misinformation

In the age of social media, misinformation is spread through different social media channels such as Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram, etc. Librarians and information experts try to counteract this by only sharing reliable information. Trustworthy information may be shared with library users through institutional and personal social media accounts and platforms to try to control rumors and fake news (Wilder-Smith and Freedman, 2020)

Support research teams, researchers and academic faculty

Librarians can support medical staff, academics, research teams and para-medical staff by drawing attention to the latest developments regarding vaccination, diagnostic kits, and relevant studies published in medical journals. All the well-known databases provide free access to articles relating to Covid-19 (Coronavirus)

Maintain core library services for users

During a pandemic the library must also continue support to its regular users. During the recent lockdown many libraries in Pakistan have managed to provide virtual support to their users, such as provision of references, document delivery, literature searches, and systematic reviews (Muhammad, 2020) Some libraries have initiated online webinars and sessions to keep in touch with their users via Google Classroom, Google Hangouts, Skype, or Zoom.

Methods

This study adopted a descriptive survey research design (Achinewhu-Nworgu, 2015) The population of this study comprised all the 195 staff in the Borno State Public Library, Maiduguri. The sample size comprised 50 staff drawn through purposive sampling technique. The validated instrument used for data collection was a structured questionnaire developed by the researcher ‘Role of Public Librarians in Information Dissemination’ (RPLID) The instrument was developed in three clusters - A, B and C. Cluster A contains 5 items on the roles of public librarians in Borno State in promoting public health awareness in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic; Cluster B contains 4 items on the roles of public librarians in Borno State in supporting researchers in providing latest developments in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic, while Cluster C contains 8 items on the roles of public librarians in Borno State in meeting core needs of regular library users in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The reliability of the instrument was computed using Cronbach Alpha and yielded a co-efficient of 0.78. The instrument was therefore deemed reliable for the study (Downing, 2004)The instrument contained 11 items structured on a 4- point scale of Strongly Agree (3.50–4.00), Agree (2.50–3.49), Disagree (1.50–2.49), Strongly Disagree (1.00–1.49) Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research questions. The criterion mean score of 2.50 was used as a benchmark for taking decisions. Any mean score greater than the criterion mean score of 2.50 signifies ‘agreed’ while any mean score less than the criterion mean score of 2.50 signifies ‘disagreed’.

Results

Research question 1

What are the roles of public librarians in Borno State in promoting public health awareness in the era of Covid-19 pandemic?

The data in Table one reveals that all the items (1–5), with mean scores 3.49, 3.33, 3.14, 3.39, 3.03 respectively, were above the criterion mean score of 2.50. This means that respondents agreed that those items are roles of public librarians in promoting public health awareness in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic in public libraries in Borno State.

Table 1.

Roles of public librarians in borno state in promoting public health awareness in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

S/N	The following are public librarians’ roles in promoting public health awareness	X	SD	Remarks
1	Advising on how to avoid misinformation	3.49	0.80	Agree
2	Highlighting the importance of social distancing	3.33	0.74	Agree
3	Giving general instructions to library users on the use of face masks, handwashing and use of sanitizers	3.14	0.73	Agree
4	Enlightening library users to avoid handshakes in or outside the library	3.39	0.61	Agree
5	Sharing evidence-based information about the Covid-19 pandemic e.g., good nutrition and lifestyle which can reduce the risk of the disease	3.03	0.56	Agree

Research question 2

What are the roles of public librarians in Borno State in supporting researchers in providing latest developments in the era of Covid-19 pandemic?

In Table 2 data analysis revealed that items 6–9, with mean scores 3.53, 3.30, 3.2 and 3.26 respectively, are above the criterion mean scores of 2.50. This means that each of the items were agreed on by respondents as a support system to researchers in providing latest developments in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

Table 2.

Roles of public librarians in borno state in supporting researchers in providing latest developments in the era of COVID-19 pandemic.

S/N	Public librarians in Borno State can support researchers by:	X	SD	Remarks
6	Drawing attention to the latest developments regarding vaccination	3.53	0.67	Agree
7	Drawing attention to the latest developments regarding diagnosis kits	3.30	0.64	Agree
8	Drawing relevant studies published in medical journals	3.29	0.61	Agree
9	Providing free access to the latest literature on coronavirus	3.26	0.60	Agree

Research question 3

What are the roles of public librarians in Borno State in meeting the core needs of regular library users in the era of COVD-19 pandemic?

Analysis of Table 3 revealed that items 10–17 with mean scores 3.47, 3.04, 3.01, 3.30, 3.66, 3.45, 3.32 and 3.42 respectively were above the criterion mean scores of 2.50. This means that respondents agreed that these items are meant to be provided in meeting core needs of regular library users in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Table 3.

Roles of public libraries in borno state in meeting core needs of regular library users in the era of COVD-19 pandemic.

S/N	The following are the library support system provided to regular user:	X	SD	Remarks
	Provision of virtual support to their users such as:
10	References	3.47	0.66	Agree
11	Document delivery	3.04	0.69	Agree
12	Literature searches	3.01	0.87	Agree
	Provision of online webinar sessions to keep in touch via:
13	Google classroom	3.30	0.47	Agree
14	Google hangouts	3.66	0.51	Agree
15	Skype	3.45	0.49	Agree
16	Zoom	3.32	0.61	Agree
17	whatsApp business	3.42	0.64	Agree

Discussion of findings

The result in Research Question One reveal that respondents agreed that those items are roles of public librarians in promoting public health awareness in the era of Covid-19 pandemic in public libraries in Borno State. This means that public librarians’ role agreed upon include; advising on how to avoid misinformation, highlighting the importance of social distancing, giving general instructions to library users on the use of face masks, hand-washing and use of sanitizers; enlightening library users to avoid handshakes in or outside the library and sharing evidence-based information about the Covid-19 pandemic e.g., good nutrition and lifestyle which can reduce the risk of the disease. This finding is in line with the finding of Muhammad (2020) that the role of university librarians in this emergency included raising awareness through public health education of the importance of social distancing, avoiding misinformation and public enlightenments. This finding also supported that of Chipungahelo (2015) that libraries are able to collect vital health information, including information resources on how to avoid the circumstances that cause health problems, and on providing preventive health programs and treatment programs.

The result in Research Question Two revealed that each of the items were agreed by respondents as support system to researchers in providing latest developments in the era of Covid-19 pandemic. This means that public librarians in Borno State can support researchers by drawing attention to the latest developments regarding vaccination; drawing attention to the latest developments regarding diagnosis kits; providing relevant studies published in medical journals; and providing free access to the latest literature on coronavirus. This finding was in concordance with the finding of Muhammad (2020) that part of the roles of librarians is to provide support to researchers, medical staff, researchers and health science. This finding also supported that of Ogunsola (2011) that librarians have begun to work in the information industry as designers of new information systems and information analysts.

The result in Research Question Three revealed that respondents agreed that these items are meant to be provided in meeting the core needs of regular library users in the era of Covid-19 pandemic. Respondents agreed that public librarians need to provide virtual support to their users (through references, document delivery and literature searches) and also provide online webinar sessions to keep in touch with their users (through Google classroom, Google hangouts, Skype, Zoom and whatsApp business) This finding agreed with the finding of Okike (2020) that existing digital strategies to keep information dissemination alive amongst users include the use of personal space/my library, text notifications, social media, quick response, library websites, etc.

Conclusion

Librarians need to serve as catalysts for the effective dissemination of information in this era of the Covid-19 pandemic. The study highlighted that librarians aim to promote public health awareness; support researchers in providing latest developments and meet core needs of regular library users in the era of the Covid-19 pandemic. A need for information exists in every crisis; librarians and information professional must be ready to meet this need whether it is for Covid-19 or something else.

Recommendations

Based on the finding of this study, the following recommendations were made:

Librarians should disseminate information via existing and digital media platforms to educate users, especially in a time of great need for accurate health-related information resources in an ever-increasing digital environment.

Borno State public library should establish working relationships with health agencies and communication organizations with the objective of cooperative development of collections, referrals and information shared and learning for users and a new breed of re-imagined librarians

Footnotes

Declaration of Conflicting Interests

The author(s) declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Funding

The author(s) received no financial support for the research, authorship and/or publication of this article.

ORCID iD

Anthonia Peace Joel

Notes

About the authors

Anthonia Peace Joel is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. She earned her Masters in Library and Information Science, Nnamdi Azikwe University, Awka. Her research interest is in Information Science, she has published locally and internationally. Phone contact 08161269802. Email: anthoniajoel@unimaid.edu.ng

Emmanuel Camble is Professor at the Department of Library and Information Science, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. He earned his Ph.D in Library Science from the University of Ibadan. His research intersts include rural libraries, information seeking behaviour and rural information services. He has published in Library and Information Science Journals in Nigeria, Africa and Europe. Phone contact 08134975575. Email: Emmanuelcamble2@gmail.com

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