ABSTRACT

Providing online services and assistance to library users has become the standard practice of many libraries worldwide. It has prompted many institutions to develop strategic actions to remain relevant in the absence of physical services. Although there are numerous initiatives among public libraries for teens, there is limited literature about the provision of online services and assistance for teens during the initial months of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, this study seeks to highlight the services, efforts, and initiatives of Qatar National Library, specifically its Young Adult (YA) Section, in planning and implementing virtual services to address the information needs of teens during a pandemic. Additionally, this study will present information that might help library professionals design their own library plans and programs to serve young adults virtually. This paper takes a quantitative approach to share the library’s experience organizing various online events and reference services for youth development amid limited access to physical services. This case study includes information about user feedback, highlighting the teens’ experience with the library’s virtual programs.

摘要

为图书馆用户提供在线服务和帮助已成为全球许多图书馆的标准做法。它促使许多机构制定战略行动，以在没有实体服务的情况下保持相关性。尽管公共图书馆为青少年采取了许多举措，但关于在 COVID-19 大流行的最初几个月为青少年提供在线服务和帮助的文献有限。因此，本研究旨在强调卡塔尔国家图书馆，特别是其青少年 (YA) 部门在规划和实施虚拟服务以满足大流行期间青少年的信息需求方面的服务、努力和举措。此外，这项研究将提供可能有助于图书馆专业人员设计他们自己的图书馆计划和项目以虚拟地为年轻人服务的信息。本文采用定量方法分享图书馆在实体服务有限的情况下为青年发展组织各种在线活动和参考服务的经验。该案例研究包括有关用户反馈的信息，突出了青少年对图书馆虚拟项目的体验。