ABSTRACT This study synthesizes timely information about the COVID-19 virus and examines how public libraries have responded to the pandemic in real-time through their online announcements to the public. A content analysis of library announcements relating to the COVID-19 pandemic posted during the period of March 14–April 12, 2020, was performed. Over 90 percent of libraries announced a closure due to the pandemic and 98 percent libraries indicated programs were suspended. Over half of libraries posted about COVID-19 and general hygiene practices. Many announcements changed in terms of content from March 14 to April 12, demonstrating the rapidly evolving nature of the pandemic. This study suggests that libraries can and do play an important role in providing reliable information about pandemics like COVID-19 for patrons.

中文翻译：

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美国公共图书馆在 2020 年 COVID-19 大流行期间提供的公告信息

摘要 本研究综合了有关 COVID-19 病毒的及时信息，并检查了公共图书馆如何通过向公众发布在线公告来实时应对这一流行病。对 2020 年 3 月 14 日至 4 月 12 日期间发布的与 COVID-19 大流行相关的图书馆公告进行了内容分析。超过 90% 的图书馆宣布因大流行而关闭，98% 的图书馆表示项目已暂停。超过一半的图书馆发布了有关 COVID-19 和一般卫生习惯的信息。从 3 月 14 日到 4 月 12 日，许多公告的内容发生了变化，这表明大流行的迅速发展。这项研究表明，图书馆可以而且确实在为顾客提供有关 COVID-19 等流行病的可靠信息方面发挥着重要作用。