The impact of public library closures during COVID - Libraries Research Group at Charles Sturt University

Group members: Philip Hider, Jane Garner, Simon Wakeling, Hamid Jamali

Although public libraries have done their best to support their communities despite needing to close their physical doors at some points during the COVID pandemic, anecdotal evidence suggested that many users still missed visiting the physical spaces. This project, funded by the State Library of New South Wales, surveyed over 1,200 public library users to gauge the extent and reasons why people missed visiting their local libraries.

The resulting project report can be downloaded here, while a more detailed paper has been accepted for publication in Public Library Quarterly.

Contact: Dr Philip Hider

Email: phider@csu.edu.au

Phone: (02) 6933 2522

About the Libraries Research Group

Our research focuses on key issues affecting the sector, examining the ways in which library and information services can be improved, and library collections enhanced, as well the role of libraries and librarianship in contemporary society.

Building on CSU’s position as the leading and largest provider of library education in Australia, we are ideally placed to be the group librarians turn to when they need an evidence base for their decisions, or new solutions to real-world problems.