Post Covid-19: Expectations for Academic Library Collections, Remote Work, and Resource Description and Discovery Staffing

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of a 2021 survey in which 402 academic library employees shared their expectations for post-pandemic collections, remote work arrangements, and staffing and hiring in cataloging, electronic resources, and metadata—areas involved in resource description and discovery work. Their responses indicate that, during the next several years, some pandemic trends are expected to continue in academic libraries including an acceleration of the trend to phase out physical resources for electronic ones as well as trends in remote work options. The majority of participants also expect staffing levels for cataloging, electronic resources, and metadata to remain the same with about one-fifth of participants expecting increases in electronic resources staffing and smaller numbers expecting permanent decreases in cataloging staffing due to lack of either funding or need. Moreover, participant responses shed light on expectations for the hiring of faculty and staff positions in cataloging, electronic resources, and metadata. In sum, the study provides insights into aspects of academic libraries which may be of interest to academic library administrators, graduate students and programs in library and information science, publishers and providers of educational content, and academic library employees working in related areas.