Higher Education Libraries under Uncertainty: the Specific of the Staff’ Remote Work Organizing

Abstract

Uncertainty of the current academic year and long-term future in higher education institutions of Ukraine and the world, significant changes in national higher education, distancing of learning and research processes require urgent communicative reloading of libraries. The purpose of the article: a) definition and characteristics of the organization of remotely working teams (teams) of libraries of higher education institutions at the stage of transfer of library teams to remote work; b) identification of approaches that already take place in Ukraine in the context of the COVID-19 epidemic. The author has investigated the administrative aspect of the initial stage of the organization of the transfer of higher education libraries of Ukraine to remote work in the first 2 months (13.03–13.05.2020) of the introduction of quarantine in connection with the pandemic COVID-19. A thorough analysis of professional literature, sites of libraries and library associations, social networks, and self-reflection of the author’s own experience as a director of the university library during the pandemic has been carried out. Interviews (April 22–24, 2020) with 8 directors of higher education libraries of Ukraine were conducted in order to better understand the organizational aspects of the need for rapid transfer of employees to remote work. An online survey among 63 heads and leading specialists of higher education libraries of Ukraine on the topic “Models of remote work of university library teams in conditions of uncertainty” (May 25–31, 2020) was conducted. The priority actions of the library management and stages of these actions at the transfer of library collectives to remote work are defined. Four models of organization of remotely working teams (collectives) have been revealed and characterized: Model 1 – Standard; Model 2 – Pro; Model 3 – Starting; Model 4 – Zero conditional. According to the analysis of online survey data, 11.11 % of respondents attributed their library to Model 1, 50.79 % to Model 2, 38.10 % to Model 3, and 0 % to Model 4. Also, 93.65 % of respondents confirmed that higher education libraries of Ukraine have rapidly adapted librarians to remote work, an obligatory component of which is the improvement of professional competencies.