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available in a digital format and in the Italian language. She said this is likely to focus efforts on the development of more viable hybrid libraries in the future. She also highlighted that the pandemic had brought into focus a digital divide in Italy, where large numbers of students and academics have limited access to digital resources because of less developed communications systems. Merrett concurred on the subject of


social sciences, pointing out that even with unlimited budgets there are many textbooks that are not available in a digital format, meaning many students have been left without access to the resources they need. She hoped that this might lead to an ‘equalisation’ between different subject areas in future.


Main challenges As a research support librarian, dealing mainly with postgraduates and authors, Merrett said the key challenge was to scale up the services provided online. She reported an uptick in the number of researchers submitting data management plans, which had added some strain. She reported that, where much of this work had previously been carried out by email, researchers were increasingly requesting online video meetings to discuss their requirements. She added that researchers had adapted to the new arrangements very well.


Morriello reported that, in Turin, students are able to access library services only by making appointments – and that there had been a marked increase in the use of digital services. Library consortia had petitioned publishers regarding the provision of free resources around Covid-19; given that many librarians were working remotely, she praised this combined response. While happy with the response at her


own university, Hinchliffe pointed out that many libraries in the United States did not have the resources to provide a strong and robust digital service. However, she reported seeing ‘many instances of librarians making incredible efforts’ to provide their services in a suitable way. She also made the point that libraries were put in a difficult position because almost all previous emergency planning was aimed at localised situations – whereas, of course, the pandemic has been a global event. She said this realisation would have to inform future crisis management planning.


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“The pandemic had allowed universities and libraries the chance to ‘rethink’ some services”


Hinchliffe also pointed out that there


were significant financial and logistical implications brought about by the pandemic, both at present and into the future: ‘Just on the basic issue of signage, my campus has 200 buildings so you can see the scale of the challenge ahead of us. This is going to be with us for a long time’


Industry reaction Regarding the role and reaction of the wider scholarly communications industry to the pandemic, Hinchliffe pointed to the opening of large amounts of Covid-19 resources, and the fact that many librarians were now accessing these resources online, which in itself presented significant challenges in terms of IT, bandwidth, and so on. She reported that many systems had collapsed (albeit temporarily) under the strain. She stressed that the high amounts of resources released by publishers had already been paid for by article processing charges, and that this is not a sustainable model for the future.


Moriello reported that, as in the USA,


some resources had been opened up in Italy, but that in particular humanities and social sciences students and academics were struggling because many of the relevant textbooks are not


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August/September 2020 Research Information 29


Silver linings Merrett said the most positive outcome at Bristol had been a marked change in the working culture; a reduction in the number of meetings had allowed increased the time available in other areas and more flexibility to work ‘according to skill sets rather than job titles’. She also predicted that universities will likely allow more staff to work from home (even if not on a full- time basis), which will allow them to work in more productive ways.


Morriello said the pandemic had allowed


universities and libraries the chance to ‘rethink’ some services, and to take advantage of lessons learned due to Covid-19. She also pointed out that the crisis had illustrated the importance of open access and open science, and that science in general may well benefit from this – and called for closer relationships between students, academics, librarians and publishers. Hinchliffe also alluded to the fact that the pandemic had increased awareness of the ‘digital divide’. She also pointed out that library and university staff are being asked to carry out highly technical work in difficult circumstances, and that they ‘are not being paid properly for the work we are asking them to do’. Echoing Merrett, Hinchliffe also referred to a likely change in working practices as a ‘gift’, adding that mistakes in these areas had been made in the past, and that the pandemic will allow workplaces to improve and provide better facilities and services to their users. Ri


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