Advances in Social , and Humanities Research, volume 505 6th International Conference on Social Science and Higher Education (ICSSHE 2020)

Exploration and Reflection on the Library Emergency Services of Colleges and under COVID-19 —An Investigation on Anti-Epidemic Service in Colleges and Universities Library Lang Chen1 and Chi Zhang1,*

1Huazhong of Science and Technology Library, , 430074, * Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

ABSTRACT In the course of novel coronavirus pneumonia (COVID-19) epidemic, the library service guarantee measures in colleges and universities were summarized and analyzed by investigating the official websites and WeChat public accounts of 32 public colleges and universities in Hubei Province. This work reflected on colleges and universities library service work in the special period of epidemic from three aspects and tried to put forward reasonable suggestions. It is expected to offer references and thinking for colleges and universities library emergency services when facing major public health emergencies. Keywords: Novel coronavirus pneumonia; Colleges and universities library; Service; Research; Electronic resources of provincial working committee. They quickly organized forces to donate more than 10000 copies of literature, art 1. INTRODUCTION and other leisure books to the shelter hospitals and From the end of 2019 to the beginning of 2020, the isolation points in Wuchang and , outbreak of COVID-19 was concentrated in Wuhan and and offered free electronic books, audio books and other spread rapidly across the country. This is a serious online reading resources. Also, they offer spiritual food for infectious disease which broke out again after SARS in COVID-19 patients and greatly encourage patients' morale. 2003. The epidemic virus is coming fiercely, spreading As a public place to obtain information resources, the rapidly, treating difficultly, preventing and controlling library is characterized by dense books and periodicals and difficultly, involving a wide range and having a relatively centralized personnel. Once the outbreak is far-reaching influence, which can be described as concentrated, it will bring greater social impact. Therefore, unprecedented. The outbreak of the novel coronavirus the library emergency management should be done well. epidemic is a major test for China's public health system, The occurrence of special events also brings great which has greatly tested the country's ability to cope with challenges to library and information service and major public emergencies. Although librarians can’t fight management. What kind of emergency response like medical workers in the front line of anti-epidemic, mechanism and emergency service and management they can show their responsibilities by exporting better ability should be established? Can the library's technical services to readers after the outbreak of the epidemic. The support, service efficiency and document resources Library Society of China, in conjunction with various guarantee meet the needs of readers? Can the core business libraries and digital resource providers, pushes various of the library be carried out orderly under the special types of learning resources to readers free of charge background? In the fight without smoke and virus, the through the "reading consortium - digital sharing reading library and all sectors of society work together, with their service platform", which has been widely concerned by the own practical action to the reader to submit a satisfactory library community [1]. library committee answer. and Hubei library association initiated and organized Based on the author's investigation, 32 public colleges and libraries to donate books and periodicals for shelter universities library in the province published 872 tweets hospitals. In the special period of epidemic, the library through the library's WeChat public number from January should take "reading" to attack "poison", thus helping 23rd to April 7th, averaging 11.5 tweets each day and 20.8 patients and isolators relieve their tension and maintain a tweets each library. WeChat has become the mainstream good mental state. In the middle and late February, the online service and publicity method for colleges and libraries of , Huazhong University of university libraries during the novel coronavirus epidemic. Science and Technology, Hubei University, etc., responded Under the guidance of "closing and not closing" idea, a positively under the unified and coordinated organization series of resource services and cultural promotion activities

Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Atlantis Press SARL. This is an open access article distributed under the CC BY-NC 4.0 license -http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/. 797 Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research, volume 505

have been carried out in the way of home office and online In late February, Wuhan University of Technology service. launched the formulation of the implementation plan for In the course of COVID-19 epidemic, 32 public colleges opening the library. Through many remote meetings to and universities in Hubei Province were selected to carry discuss the details of the plan, and the content of the plan out investigation and research on their service status by was revised for many times. Finally, a 268 page using WeChat public accounts and network platforms. implementation plan for opening the library in the late Also, this work analyzed the shortcomings of library stage of the epidemic was formulated. services during the current epidemic situation, and tried to The outbreak of novel coronavirus epidemic is sudden, put forward a series of improvement suggestions. It is fierce and lasting for a long time, leading to the shortage of expected to improve the service capacity of library in emergency supplies such as masks, protective clothing, facing major public health emergencies. disinfectant, etc. University libraries raise epidemic prevention materials through various channels. Wuhan 2. SERVICE STATUS OF COLLEGES University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology raised masks, disinfectants and other materials AND UNIVERSITIES LIBRARY IN THE through donations from alumni and other fraternities. On PROVINCE DURING THE OUTBREAK February 12, University received 500 kg pasteurization solution donated by Hubei Huixun Technology Co., Ltd. 2.1. Carrying out a joint prevention and control mechanism internally and externally 2.2. The library was closed and postponed The COVID-19 epidemic is fierce, and prevention and control become the priority among priorities. The librarian urgently and a green channel for borrowing is the front-end of the whole group prevention and control books was opened fortress. Only when the basic librarian is firmly prevented can the epidemic prevention work of the library be a Located in the epidemic area of the storm center, Wuhan complete victory. Many college and university libraries in University Library and Huazhong University of Science the province have constructed a joint defense system of and Technology Library, two "double first-class" "curator in charge, department director and basic level university libraries in Wuhan, Hubei Province, took the librarian", so that the prevention and control work can be lead in issuing the temporary closure notice on January 23, carried out orderly and efficiently. At the same time, the 2020. On January 28, 2020, the Huazhong University of QQ group and WeChat group from the curator to the Science and Technology library continued to issue a notice librarian of each department and office were established, on the opening extension of the library according to "the and the grid information collection and release platform notice of Huazhong University of Science and Technology was established to ensure the smoothness of the upper on delaying the opening time in 2020". In order to alleviate level information. It is necessary to remind and urge each the inconvenience brought to teachers and students by the librarian to report the body temperature on time. Also, it delayed opening, many university libraries will exempt should grasp the health status and ideological trend of the readers from the penalty if they delay borrowing or return librarians during the anti-epidemic period in the closed books on time due to the delay, thus opening a green house, thus preventing the librarians from anxiety. Based channel for the traditional borrowing business of the on the requirements of epidemic prevention, special library. This measure can effectively avoid the spread of personnel should be organized every day to strengthen the epidemic situation caused by crowd gathering, reduce the sanitation and disinfection of public space and reading cross infection between teachers and students caused by seats on each floor in the museum, thereby ensuring the crowd gathering, and protect the health and life safety of clean and safe environment. readers and staff. Also, it can ensure that teachers and After the outbreak of the epidemic, the leaders from Hubei students can borrow and return books smoothly after university library committee attached great importance to school, thereby avoiding the worries of teachers and it, and immediately established the anti-epidemic support students. WeChat group. They dredged the channels of counterpart support, and established the counterpart support mechanism. College and university libraries in the 2.3. Opening a green channel for off-campus province worked hand in hand to prevent and take remote access in virtue of technology measures against the masses. The committee calls on all kinds of university libraries in Hubei Province to fully Electronic resources have become the main way for consider information needs between different reader readers to obtain resources with the advantages of large groups, timely adjust the service mode, actively do a good quantity, rich types, fast updating speed, wide spread, etc. job of joint prevention and control and online service for According to the Ministry of Education "school from class, readers, thus arousing the social responsibility of closed not suspended" guidance, colleges and universities librarians. in the province actively adopt the online teaching mode. During the winter vacation, many teachers and students

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also use the holiday to do scientific research, write papers, University Computing Center based on Shibboleth and apply for funds, etc. Due to the superposition of oriented to CERNET. Through this service, teachers and comprehensive factors, teachers and students' demand for students can use the unified school identity authentication electronic resources is more urgent. It is necessary to account directly to log in and access the docking resources ensure a 24-hour open mode every day to maximize the on multiple platforms without any limitation in time, place, benefits of teachers and students teaching, learning, terminal or networking form. All the functions of resources research work escort. can be realized through the web page only. CARSI not Through the network survey, the author selected the only offers a better way to access resources outside school, WeChat official account, website's tweets and news but also expands the platform and mobile resource bulletins of 32 public colleges and universities library in application scenarios. Before the outbreak of the epidemic, the province from January 23, 2020 to April 7, 2020, and none of the 31 provincial public universities except Wuhan made statistics on the protection of the electronic University had joined the organization, and the proportion resources. of those who had joined the organization was not high. Currently, the main way for college and university library However, 19 public college and university libraries have at home and abroad to access electronic resources is virtual joined in, accounting for 59.3% after the outbreak of the private network (VPN). On the other hand, it includes epidemic (statistics time as of April 7). Among them, 14 Shibboleth authentication, CARSI authentication, library colleges and universities have officially launched CARSI electronic resource access system, remote access, access channels, and the proportion of data will be higher temporary account, short-term off campus roaming and as time goes on. Table 1 makes statistics on whether the 32 MYLOFT [2]. CARSI is a unified authentication and public colleges and universities library in Hubei Province resource sharing infrastructure built initially by Peking has added CARSI access mode and the upper limit time.

Table 1. Overview on off-campus remote access to electronic resources of public colleges and universities library in the province

College and university Number of Whether to Add Off-campus access system Online time name off-campus visits CARSI access VPN, setting up the proxy server Wuhan University 3 Yes 2019-11-11 and CARSI Huazhong University of VPN and CARSI 2 Yes 2020-02-01 Science and Technology Wuhan University of Science dr2am 1 Be debugging 2020-02-15 and Technology University IFC IRAS 1 Wuhan Institute of VPN and CARSI 2 Yes 2020-03-03 Technology China University of VPN, IFC IRAS and CARSI 3 Yes 2020-03-10 Geosciences (Wuhan) Wuhan Textile University VPN and CARSI 2 Yes 2020-02-04 Wuhan Polytechnic IFC IRAS 1 University Wuhan University of VPN and CARSI 2 Yes 2020-02-20 Technology Hubei University Of IFC IRAS and CARSI 2 Yes 2020-03-27 Technology Huazhong Agricultural VPN, IFC IRAS and CARSI 3 Yes 2020-02-16 University Hubei University of Chinese IFC IRAS 1 Central China Normal VPN 1 University Hubei University VPN 1 Be debugging Remote access aystem and Hubei Normal University 2 Yes 2020-03-13 CARSI Normal VPN 1 University Off-campus access system based Hubei Minzu University on Shibboleth, IFCIRAS and 3 Huiwen Hanjiang Normal University No off-campus access 0 Hubei University of Arts and No off-campus access 0 Be debugging Science

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Zhongnan University of VPN, IFC IRAS and CARSI 3 Yes 2020-02-18 and Law Wuhan Institute of Physical VPN 1 Be debugging 2020-03-12 Education South-central University For VPN and CARSI 2 Yes 2020-02-13 Nationalities Hubei University of IFC IRAS and CARSI 2 Yes 2020-03-22 Automotive Technology Hubei IFC IRAS 1 University Hubei Polytechnic IFC IRAS 1 University Hubei University of Science VPN 1 and Technology Hubei University of IFC IRAS 1 Medicine IFC IRAS 1 China Three Gorges Digital portal system 1 University Hubei University of VPN and CARSI 2 Yes 2020-02-16 Economics Hubei University Of CARSI 1 Yes 2020-03-22 Education Wuhan Business University VPN 1 Be debugging It can be seen from Table 1 that 14 universities support Wuhan University library jointly held the second "library two or more remote access modes among the 32 public cup" theme image creative design collection activity. universities surveyed, accounting for 43.8%. Among them, Zhilian Qidian Information Technology Co., Ltd. Wuhan University, China University of Geosciences and Hubei University library jointly held an online activity (Wuhan), Huazhong Agricultural University, Zhongnan of "prize-winning answers to epidemic prevention University of Economics and Law and Hubei Minzu knowledge in battle classes" for all teachers and students in University support the third access mode, accounting for Hubei provincial colleges and universities. It encouraged 15.6%. This ensures the diversity of access channels teachers and students to strengthen their self-prevention covers more users and brings convenience for readers. awareness and improve their protection ability, thereby Based on the author's understanding, there are also private preparing for the first class ready. Hubei Provincial undergraduate colleges aside from the survey universities Library Work Committee has hosted the "life, war listed in the table, such as Wuchang Shouyi College, and epidemic" university book review and film review provincial vocational colleges such as Wuhan Polytechnic competition, and 32 college and university libraries in the and Wuhan City Vocational College that have opened the province have responded positively. CARSI remote access mode. This can effectively meet the needs of users and implement the purpose of "serving readers" incisively and vividly. 2.5. Orderly carrying out the service work such as checking and quoting, science and technology novelty retrieval and document 2.4. A series of online themed activities delivery In order to actively respond to the slogan of staying at home and enrich the cultural life of teachers and students, In the course of epidemic prevention and control, the colleges and universities library has carried out a series of library will not stop its work when it is closed, and will theme activities. The Wuhan University library has continue to offer literature resources, academic services officially launched the special topic of "online teaching and intellectual property information services to ensure the and research at home". It especially plans to launch the needs of all teachers and students. Facing the needs of collection activities of "reporting peace by your message" teachers and students to carry out teaching and scientific and "come on Wuhan, come on little cloth" to disperse the research, the Librarians of Huazhong University of Science severe cold of the epidemic with the warmth of books. The and Technology library carry out remote online office, Central China Normal University library has launched a actively carry out scientific and technological novelty 21-day reading and punching activity called "reading retrieval, paper retrieval and intellectual property together through windows in Wuhan". Students from information services. Through the newly launched "science colleges and universities in Hubei Province are invited to and technology novelty retrieval and information service participate in this activity, thus learning about Wuhan from management system" of the library during the epidemic ancient and modern literati in an all-round way, and to period, it accepted various science and technology novelty refuel Wuhan and China in their own way. The Wuhan retrieval projects and paper retrieval work. Relying on this library leads teachers and students management system, the whole process is online from to carry out the "one person, one book and one month" accepting commission, communication to report winter holiday reading and clock in activity to read completion and delivery. The staff work at home and finish together in this special winter. Huazhong Agricultural the report remotely. With the approval of the library University calls on teachers and students to carry out a leaders, the staffs on duty are allowed to enter the library series of "Shishan reading festival" to encourage students to print the report and affix the seal. Finally, the scanned to actively participate. The Library Society of China and copy of the report is sent to the client by e-mail, thus

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realizing zero contact in the whole process. In order to universities released a single digit in a period of more than meet the needs of teachers and students for humanities and two months. social literature, CASHL (Chinese university On February 4, the Ministry of Education issued the humanities and social sciences literature center) from "guiding opinions on the organization and management of Huazhong University of Science and Technology and online teaching in colleges and universities during the Huazhong Agricultural University will be free of charge period of epidemic prevention and control". It requires until the end of the epidemic from February 20, 2020. schools to actively carry out online teaching activities such as online teaching and online learning, and the demand for electronic teaching materials is booming [4]. According to 2.6. Persisting in carrying out information the tweets published by 32 university libraries, Wuhan literacy education for online readers University and Wuhan University of Technology libraries have undertaken the arduous task of offering resources for Through the QQ group, WeChat official account, mobile online teaching. Wuhan University of Science and library, network information platform, etc., the colleges Technology introduced librarians to open the "5 + 2" and universities library ensure that readers can get in touch working mode and the "world salvage" electronic teaching with librarians smoothly, and the readers' consultation and material. It obtained electronic textbooks for 2,297 courses needs are timely responded. The subject librarian of and produced 693 pages of electronic textbook guides, and Huazhong University of Science and Technology offers undergraduate course guarantee rate reached 82%. The targeted scientific research and teaching support for majority university libraries have not published the related teachers and students, including multi-dimensional work of compiling electronic textbooks. It can be seen that one-stop services such as ensuring literature resources, the emergency response speed of library in facing public service collection and citation, improving information emergencies needs to be improved, and the demand focus literacy, etc. Wuhan University library has set up an of information resources should be clearer, thereby information literacy channel on its WeChat public account achieving a targeted goal. for the period of the epidemic, and carried out online For more than two months, most cities in Hubei Province teaching and live answering questions through the "super have remained under "lockdown" or strict control over the star learning channel". Aiming at the modules of epidemic. In the teaching and scientific research process, information literacy education in colleges and universities, teachers and students need vast information resources as the Wuhan University of Technology library carried out a support. Librarians should continue to adhere to the "white series of university information literacy courses by using + black" working mode, provide efficient and high-quality micro courses during the closing period [3]. It includes five services as soon as teachers and students need, offer series of contents: theory, system, academic writing, guidance and direction for their teaching, learning and knowledge management, application scenarios, etc. research work, and reflect the responsibilities and actions University libraries in the province also collect various of a librarian during the epidemic test. teaching platforms to teach online teaching skills to teachers who become "anchors", and recommend them to carry out online teaching through courses of love, rain 3.2. Actively carrying out in-depth cooperation classroom, wisdom tree network, super star Erya network with database vendors to expand digital general education platform, etc. resources 3. ANALYSIS ON COLLEGES AND Since the outbreak of the epidemic, the whole country has UNIVERSITIES LIBRARY SERVICES made concerted efforts to overcome the difficulties and contribute their own strength to win the epidemic war. UNDER COVID-19 Many database companies, publishers and Internet enterprises at home and abroad have constantly upgraded their services and launched a series of measures to 3.1. Strengthening service consciousness facilitate the readers. For example, CNKI, Wanfang Data, superstar academic resources and Edison online lecture Accordingly, there are still some universities and colleges hall are open to the public for free. Many information in the province whose library information service work is service companies specially set up online training services at a standstill or only maintains routine information service to meet the learning needs of readers, such as "web of work in the course of COVID-19 epidemic. The science online lecture" held by Clarivate for scientific emergency service capacity in facing major public security researchers, "Kehui Sci-Fund platform" launched by incidents needs to be improved. Based on the author's Wanfang for free, and superstar fine elegance paper testing investigation, 1 university library in 32 public colleges and system is open to readers for free. However, the free access universities have not opened WeChat official account, and to various types of database information is scattered, 3 university libraries have never updated the content of complex and various ways of entrance. In order to WeChat official account. From January 23rd to April 7th, facilitate readers, 17 university libraries in Wuhan the WeChat official account from 4 colleges and University, Huazhong University of Science and

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Technology, Wuhan University of Technology, Huazhong 4. CONCLUSION Agricultural University and other universities have collected and screened the commonly used free resources The outbreak of COVID-19 is a severe test to all mankind. information. The official account is posted on the campus When facing this disaster, librarians are optimistic and turn network and WeChat public number platform for readers' the crisis into a turning point. They try their best to use reference. new technology and new ideas to open up various new As one of the most important components of library ways to serve readers, strive to explore online service resources, digital resources have become the first choice mode, achieve resource integration and sharing, and for teachers and students to obtain information resources support teachers and students' teaching and scientific under COVID-19. After all, the number of electronic research work in a multi-pronged way. By combing and literature resources is still limited, and many high-quality summarizing the library service situation of colleges and databases are not open to readers for free, which hinders universities in Hubei Province during epidemic prevention, the progress of readers' teaching, learning and research to a we realize that college and university libraries have limited certain extent. Moreover, many of the above-mentioned practical experience in emergency service when facing free literature resources are only free for a limited time. major public health emergencies. Also, we need to further Once the epidemic is over, readers will no longer have improve our management ability to cope with new access to the resources they need. Accordingly, the library opportunities and challenges. Although there is a long way can explore a more economical and long-term way to help to offer high-quality services, librarians will continue to readers access electronic literature resources. It is possible work with readers to improve the level and connotation of to try to establish a model for integrating copyright services, thus better-serving teaching and scientific interests with publishers [5]. For example, the digital research. distribution mode of "rent before buy" is put forward (i.e., the library only needs to prepay the rent of the right to use REFERENCES some electronic resources, and it can purchase electronic literature resources according to the needs of users). It can [1] The Library Society of China. In the Course of greatly reduce the cost of purchasing electronic resources Anti-epidemic, Boosting Online Learning Efforts Again and the blindness of database purchase. At the same time, - The Library Society of China Pushes Free Resources open access to resources is advocated, and users can get through the "Reading Consortium Platform" [EB/OL]. paid digital resources on demand. [2020-02-19].http://www.lsc.org.cn/contents/1342/1477 0.html.

3.3. Analysis on colleges and universities [2] Tan Huan. Exploration and Analysis on Resource library services under covid-19 Service in the Double First-class College and University Libraries during the Anti-epidemic Period [J]. College In the course of epidemic, the non-contact and low-risk and University Library Work, 2020, 40(3): 52-56. online service mode became the main form of library service in the special period under the call of "cloud [3] Huang Ruhua, Huang Yuting. Discrimination coronavirus epidemic prevention". Services such as Screening for Major Public Health Emergencies - collection and citation, science and technology novelty retrieval, document delivery, intellectual property Discussion on the Importance of Public Information information service, duplicate paper search, reference Literacy Education from the Prevention and Control of service, etc., can be entrusted through online network the COVID-19 Epidemic [J]. Library, Information and platform. The librarians who work at home can Knowledge, 2020(2): 9-12. communicate with users remotely and feedback the processing results. For example, Wuhan University, [4] Ministry of Education. Guiding Opinions on the Huazhong University of Science and Technology and Ministry of Education's Leading Group for Response to Wuhan University of Technology provide official account the COVID-19 Epidemic on the Organization and of information consultancy service and relevant contact Management of Online Teaching in Regular Colleges methods through library's official website and public and Universities during the Epidemic Prevention and number, including work QQ and contact telephone. The service work responsibility should be assigned to people. Control Period [EB/OL]. [2020-03-18]. During the delay period, more "contactless" online reading http://www.cac.gov.cn/2020-02/05/c_15824432288620 activities, online theme collection activities, anti-epidemic 58.html. knowledge competition columns, etc., can be recommended to attract teachers and students to participate [5] Hua, Du Zhiping. Symbiosis and Cooperation in them. In order to enrich family life against epidemic, it between Digital Publishers and Libraries: Interest should popularize COVID-19 knowledge to teachers and Gaming, Cross-border Thinking and Governance students, thereby preventing and controlling novel Approaches [J]. Publishing Wide Angle, 2019, (9): coronavirus in a scientific way and spread positive energy. 33-35, 93.

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