University libraries in Catalonia (2020-2022): Pandemic, disruption and digital transformation

Abstract

On 14 March 2020, the Catalan university libraries closed down their premises and began to offer all their resources and services online. This unprecedented disruption brought about a change in the activity of the ten libraries in the university library system during the period analysed in this article and ushered in a digital transformation that has led to the establishment of new approaches and methodologies that are likely to last beyond the two- year period analysed here.
Despite this disruption, the libraries continued to carry out the planned projects, among them the implementation in July 2020 of the new library management system ALMA for all the libraries of the Consortium of University Services of Catalonia. The project was supervised the company Exlibris. The libraries also worked actively to establish open science on the university agendas and to position themselves as strategic agents supporting research at their institutions.
The period under study has ended with a worldwide energy whose effects are still uncertain. It is expected to affect the management of library services, which will need to be more sustainable and efficient.