Setting boundaries or no barriers? Managing the resources of the library of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn during the pandemic

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic had a worldwide impact on the work of libraries of all types, as it required their organisers to respond to the rapidly changing needs of user communities and institutions. A number of organisational strategies were developed to adjust the libraries’ operation and their environment to the new extraordinary conditions. The dynamic epidemiological situation and the rapid acquisition of the associated knowledge resulted in some implemented arrangements being only temporary and some becoming permanent. In this article, which is a case study of the actions taken by the organisers and managers of the Library of the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, individual stages of implementing the rules introduced in connection with the COVID-19 hazard from March 2020 to September 2021 are discussed. The author attempts to describe the extent to which the unique situation justified deviating from standard library management rules, and pays special attention to the legal aspects of the decisions made. The text presents the rationale, solutions and discussions related to the new rules for organising the librarians’ work, serving users and providing access to collections.