Transforming library collections in a pandemic: the perspective from Edge Hill University

Abstract

The 2020 Covid-19 pandemic has had an unprecedented impact on Higher Education (HE) libraries, requiring them to rapidly overhaul their services and accelerating the shift to digital in a short space of time. One of the most significant challenges has been how to provide students and other library users with continued access to resources previously only available in print, when libraries have been closed or are operating with restrictions in place that limit access to the physical library space. This has led many libraries to increase investment in digital content to better support students in the current climate. This article shares the perspective from Edge Hill University in the UK and focuses on work undertaken by the library to implement university-wide e-textbook access for the first time. The article explores some of the barriers the library has faced sourcing textbooks and concludes by reflecting on how 2020 may shape the library’s purchasing strategies in a post-pandemic information landscape.