Open AccessPivotal in a pandemic: an interview with Ian Roberts, head of the WHO libraries
Author(s) -
Ray Phillips
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
journal of the european association for health information and libraries
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2392-8131
pISSN - 1841-0715
DOI - 10.32384/jeahil16417
Subject(s) - pandemic , service (business) , covid-19 , public relations , library science , snapshot (computer storage) , business , world wide web , political science , sociology , management , computer science , marketing , medicine , infectious disease (medical specialty) , disease , pathology , economics , operating system
This interview with the head of the World Health Organization’s Library Service took place in May 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The interview provides a snapshot of how COVID-19 has affected the library service in an organization which is at the centre of disseminating information and providing leadership during the pandemic. In the interview, various aspects of managing a library service during a pandemic are discussed, including: how the library copes with high demand; how they maintain a high-quality search and retrieval service; how they make use of partnerships; what are the emerging "lessons learned" for their service; and how they try to take care of their well-being.