Summary

The 66-page study looks at how academic libraries plan to re-open in 2021 and 2022, as well as the enduring legacy that they expect from the COVID experience. The report gives detailed data on exactly how much foot traffic in the library librarians currently have and what they expect for Spring 2021 and Fall 2021. It also gives detailed info on academic library plans to bring employees back into the library building, examining the pace and magnitude of the return to working in the library itself. The report details when librarians expect a vaccine to significantly impact their operations, how many library employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and how librarians view the effectiveness of their institution's COVID containment policies. It also looks at how libraries plan to deploy social distancing and COVID-related hygiene measures, as well as the extent to which these policies may be rolled back as vaccines are implemented. The study also polls library leadership opinion on what will be the enduring implications of the COVID experience for academic libraries.Data in the report is broken out by size and type of college and other variables, as well as by current college operating model, with data presented separately for colleges that have been operating nearly completely online, largely online, or largely or completely in-person. Just a few of the many findings of this study, based on data from college and university libraries, are:29.82% of libraries in the sample were operating in an environment of mostly or completely in-person instruction.A mean of 0.55 employees per library have been diagnosed with COVID-19.Respondents saw an average of 29.90% (median 25%, minimum 0%, and maximum 85%) normal customary foot traffic in the fall semester 2020 compared to fall semester 2019.31.58% of libraries sampled do not plan to limit the number of patrons in the library at one time after re-opening.