Old questions, new circumstances: Some reflections on information during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has had limited effects on access to and use of information. In the last few decades, much information has been digitised, if not created and produced, online. Confined in physical space and sitting at a desk (or kitchen table), people are able to connect to the outside world through various applications on a laptop and other mobile devices. It is difficult to imagine how people might live and work through the current pandemic without instant and constant information and communication. Yet, many old questions about information re-emerge and prompt re-thinking, in particular, the role of information and library professionals as they face the ever increasing volume of academic publications, as well as opinionated blogs, news articles, and tweets online. The author reflects on some of these issues and the question 'What is information?' in this short essay.