The Directive of Work-From-Home in Wake of COVID-19 Pandemic and the Adoption of E-Learning by LIS Professionals

Abstract

The adoption of work- from- home system in wake of COVID-19 Pandemic was a strategy to curb the spread of the deadly disease. It became a new normal that was feasible with deployment of Information and Communication Technology state-of-the-art infrastructure to administrative function. Therefore, this study investigated the Directive of Work-From-Home in the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic and the adoption of E-Learning by LIS Professionals in Selected Academic Libraries in Lagos State, Nigeria. The descriptive survey design was adopted for the study, questionnaire was the research instrument. Random sampling techniques was used to select seventy two (72) librarians and library officers from six institutions of higher learning in Lagos State. The response rate were: 14 (19.4%) from Yaba College of Technology, 10 (13.9%) from Lagos State Polytechnic, 14 (19.5%) from Lagos State University, 8 (11.1%) from Celeb University, 19 (26.4) from University of Lagos while 7 (9.7%) from Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education. The study found out that LIS Professionals in institutions of higher learning in Lagos State possessed low Computer Skills. Though E-Learning was highly accepted by LIS Professionals in Lagos State as a measure for Work-from-Home in the wake of COVID-19 Pandemic. Although, majority of the academic library(s) and LIS professionals were disconnected from their users during the pandemic. The study also found that the reasons why majority of LIS professionals in Lagos State are inactive about eLearning is as a result of lack of funds. It was recommended that the school proprietors and library professionals must begin to think differently about eLearning and funds should be made available and manage equitably toward the adoption of eLearning resources, digitalization of physical resources, database and internet subscriptions and maintenances among others.